TULSA (OK)
Tulsa World
By JARREL WADE World Staff Writer
Published: 9/23/2012
Victory Christian Center leaders began encouraging their congregation to speak up about sexual abuse this weekend following charges involving sexual crimes against children at the church and a two-week lapse in reporting the allegations to police, according to a church statement.
In addition, Victory Christian officials provided to the World a detailed account of the two weeks before police were notified.
The message to the congregation comes after the church fired two staff members who were later charged with child sex crimes and five other staff members were charged with failure to report child abuse. Police said last week that their investigation has revealed more possible victims with a possibility for a third suspect, but parents of new possible victims have not cooperated.
In her statement Saturday to her congregation during weekend services, Victory Christian Senior Pastor Sharon Daugherty said she has grieved about the situation and encouraged anyone with knowledge of child abuse to report it to authorities.
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