SAND SPRINGS (OK)
KTUL [Tulsa, OK]
July 28, 2026
By KTUL.com News Staff
The Sand Springs Police Department arrested a pastor accused of sexual battery following a months-long investigation into reports of his suspicious interactions with a child.
Police said on November 11, 2025, officers received a DHS referral reporting inappropriate behavior with an adult and a child. Police said the reports did not note anything criminal, just suspicious interactions.
On Nov. 25, the suspect, 42-year-old Marcus Owens, was interviewed by police and denied any relationship with the juvenile, stating he was like a father figure to the victim.
On July 14, 2026, the victim came forward to police, reporting sexual assault by Owens.
The suspect was interviewed again on Monday. Police developed probable cause to arrest Owens for one count of sexual battery due to the information gathered over several months. Owens is a tribal citizen, so his case will be forwarded to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the FBI to determine jurisdiction for his prosecution.
Police said there have been questions to if Owens was a School Resource Officer with Sand Springs Public Schools. Owens has never been affiliated with the Sand Springs Police Department, and was never a SRO. Although, he was employed as a security guard for the school district once during the 2021-2022 school year, and again during the 2022-2023 school year.
Owens has worked in various roles in the school district, including as a teacher’s assistant, paraprofessional and substitute teacher.
Police said Owens has also been heavily involved in his church for many years, including as a pastor.
Owens has had access to children for at least the past 15 years, police said. If there are any other individuals who have been victimized by Owens, report it to your local police department.
Sand Springs Public Schools shared a statement on the arrest:
“Dear Sandite Families, I am writing to make you aware of an issue involving a former SSPS employee. A former substitute teacher was arrested yesterday on charges of sexual misconduct involving a student at Charles Page High School. The Sand Springs Police Department notified us of these allegations mid-July, and we will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement in their investigation. The district has reported this alleged incident to the proper authorities, including the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The person in question was employed intermittently in the district. Most recently, they worked as a substitute teacher at our secondary sites from December 2025 to May 2026. Prior to that, they worked as a paraprofessional and security guard from 2020 to 2023 at Clyde Boyd Middle School, as a teacher assistant in 2011, and as a substitute teacher in 2012. Alleged conduct of this nature goes completely against our values and standards. The safety and wellbeing of our students is always our highest priority. Every employee undergoes a comprehensive background check before their start date. In the event of any misconduct allegations against an employee, school leaders immediately secure the safety of students and alert the proper agencies (such as law enforcement, OSDE, and DHS). I would like to thank the Sand Springs Police Department for their assistance on this matter. Because their investigation is ongoing and this is a personnel issue, we are limited in what we can share. However, we will always communicate as openly and transparently as possible with our Sandite family. Thank you for your support of Sand Springs Public Schools.”
Tulsa’s News Pulse will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.