Tulsa Investigators: Molestation Case Uncovered While Breaking Up Fight

Investigators said they uncovered a molestation case while breaking up a fight downtown.

Tulsa police said 25-year-old Sarah Presley was assaulted Wednesday because she was caught inappropriately touching a child the day before.

"It's pretty bad what she said she did,” said Sgt. Brandon Davis with the Tulsa Police Department. “Let's just say she said she had inappropriately touched a child in her private areas."

Davis told News On 6 deputies first saw Presley fighting with another woman on a sidewalk near Archer Street and Elmwood Avenue and called police.

Davis said when police interviewed Presley, she told officers why she was being attacked.

"The victim of the assault told us she was assaulted because she had inappropriately touched a three-year-old girl the day before," said Davis.

The Salvation Army confirmed the reported incident happened around lunch time Tuesday in the dining hall of the Center of Hope.

Major Mark Harwell told News On 6 Presley, who is homeless, and the girl and her mom were there for lunch.

"Their parent was very present, so it wasn't a situation where the children had wandered away or anything like that,” said Harwell. “They were with them. It would have been a very deliberate act by this alleged perpetrator to do something or to touch the child in an inappropriate way."

Court records show Presley was just released from The Tulsa County Jail Feb. 9 after serving time, convicted of assaulting a man with a knife Christmas Eve.

Harwell said while the Salvation Army's lunch program does not check the criminal history of those who get free meals, staff do go through training and there are security and cameras all around.

“The Salvation Army has a very robust child protection program,” said Harwell. “It's a national program that we follow. It's a program that protects children and vulnerable adults that we may serve."

Harwell said while Presley is facing two counts of lewd molestation, she will be temporarily banned from the Salvation Army.

Presley is held on a $200,000 bond at the Tulsa County Jail and is scheduled to go before a judge again Feb. 25.