El Reno man arrested on suspicion of child sex abuse
Canadian County sheriff's office accuses DHS of negligence
A 25- year- old El Reno man has been arrested on suspicion of forcible sodomy and lewd acts with a child under 16 years of age, and investigators are accusing the Oklahoma Department of Human Services of negligence.
On Tuesday, investigators with the Canadian County sheriff' s office arrested Michael Brooks, after the victim's mother called July 10 to report the alleged crimes.
The sheriff's office received additional calls from school officials and other people in the community who were concerned about the child's welfare, authorities said.
The victim told investigators the alleged sexual abuse had occurred for more than a year. She told investigators she was raped by Brooks, who barricaded the door to her bedroom during the abuse, authorities said.
The victim also told investigators the acts occurred almost every night for a year, and Brooks burned condoms afterward to destroy evidence.
Authorities said the victim's mother claimed to be unaware of the abuse until recently. Brooks relationship to the victim and the victim's mother was unclear on Wednesday.
The victim's mother set up a crowdfunding page online to help buy new clothes for the victim, because Brooks had previously bought her most of her clothes, investigators said.
Investigators said the crowdfunding page claimed the victim needed money for items because she had been abused sexually.
Educators reported the crowdfunding page to the Canadian County sheriff's office. Investigators found the victim's residence soiled with fecal matter, roaches, urine stain sand trash. They said children's clothing had urine stains, and the minors appeared Brooks to not have
bathed for a while. The residence was hot and did not have a working air conditioner, authorities said.
Investigators obtained a court order to remove the children from the home and placed them into state custody for their personal welfare and safety, authorities said.
According to the Canadian County sheriff's office, deputies testified before a judge, and the Canadian County district attorney's office argued for the removal of the children from the home, “however DHS did not offer any assistance or advocate for the removal of the children.”
In a news release Wednesday, the sheriff's office said it learned from a local educator there were multiple referrals to DHS, based on the sanitary and living conditions the children were in.
“I'm extremely grateful for the concern of the school staff and other citizens who were concerned enough about this little girl's safety to call, but I'm dumbfounded as to why DHS had not taken a serious look into the matter,” Canadian County Sheriff Chris West said in a statement. “If they had, maybe the poor child wouldn't have had to suffer the continuous sexual battery and abuse that she did for over a year.”
DHS could not immediately be reached for comment.
Brooks was taken to the Canadian County jail and currently is being held on no bond. Investigators are continuing their investigation and more charges may be submitted to the Canadian County district attorney's office.