Oklahoma City Police investigating alleged threats in video vigilante case

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Allegations that Oklahoma City's self-proclaimed "<b><a class="headlinelink" href="http://www.kotv.com/main/home/searchKOTV.asp?mainSearch=video vigilante">video vigilante</a></b>"

Tuesday, August 9th 2005, 6:25 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Allegations that Oklahoma City's self-proclaimed "video vigilante" is trying to intimidate a known prostitute who's expected to testify against him are under investigation.

Renee McCullough testified against Thomas Brian Bates during a June 14th preliminary hearing. A police report shows she told police that Bates has been following her and videotaping her for several days.

McCullough says he's been waiting outside a motel room where she conducts "business."

Bates has been charged with five counts of pandering and appeared in court last week for a pretrial conference. His trial is set for January 9th.

Bates has spent nearly ten years videotaping acts of prostitution in what he claims is an effort to expose and eliminate prostitution from the city's streets.