Tulsa School Security Guard Accused of Sexual Contact Involving Three Teenagers

Thursday, December 9th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa Police say the suspect in a sex crime investigation at a local high school is one of their reserve officers. The man doubled as a full-time security guard at Webster High School where he's accused of having sex with three girls during school hours.

The storm that passed over the Webster High School building may be symbolic of the one brewing inside the building. Three female students ages 15, 16 and 18 say a security guard had sexual contact with them on school grounds. Tulsa Public Schools spokesman John Hamill says one of the girls confided in a school nurse. But he says it isn't clear how long the girls and the guard where involved.
Hamill says police were called Wednesday morning. "You have a situation where you must decide, is it a school problem or a police problem?â€ he said. â€œThis is clearly a police problem, so police were immediately called."

Police quickly learned they were investigating one of their own reserve officers. A reserve officer is an unpaid, part-time officer who volunteers for duties like crowd and traffic control. A police spokesman wouldn't give us the man's name, but says the 31-year-old officer was immediately suspended. Police confiscated his gun and badge.

Parents picking up their children at Webster said they're concerned. "The kids are exposed to it and I don't like to hear about it," said a Webster studentâ€™s grandfather. Cheryl Tolbert, a mother of a student said, "I was surprised. I was shocked they'd allow something like this to go on in the school."

The suspect has been suspended from his job at Webster pending a termination hearing.
The district attorney will decide what charges will be filed. Police say they're still trying to determine whether the sex was consensual or forced. Even if it was consensual, charges could still be filed on behalf of the alleged 15-year-old victim. According to state law, 16 is the legal age of consent in Oklahoma.