House bills address childhood sexual abuse

Lawmakers say it’s a coincidence, but two bills dealing with child sex abuse are scheduled to be heard Monday in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, just days after state Sen. Ralph Shortey, R-Oklahoma City, was charged with child prostitution.

Shortey is accused of meeting a teenage boy in a Moore motel to engage in sex and smoke marijuana.

House Bills 1468 and 1470 would allow victims of childhood sexual abuse to come forward with criminal and civil charges as late as age 45. Because of legislative deadlines, the bills must be heard this week to remain active this session.

The bills will be presented by Rep. Kevin McDugle, R-Coweta, who says he’ll bring his own story to the discussion.

“When I was a teenage kid, I had a youth minister who thought it was OK to have young people at his house all night,” McDugle said Friday evening.

“I’m not just saying this is a good idea. I’m saying it’s a good idea from personal experience.”

McDugle said he was 15 when the minister invited him to the minister’s house. When McDugle arrived, he was surprised to find no one else there.

“He wanted to watch me and try to touch me,” McDugle said.

The bill’s co-author, Rep. Carol Bush, R-Tulsa, told a House committee last month that victims of childhood abuse often are unable to speak up about it until years and even decades later.

McDugle, who addressed a “Dear Colleague” letter to fellow House members ahead of Monday’s expected vote on the bills, said he has mentioned his experience only to his wife and a few close friends.

As a Marine drill sergeant, he said, “it was just not something I wanted people to know about. I didn’t want to know about it.

“Something like one out of six boys and one out of four women experience something like that,” McDugle said. “We’ve got to protect kids at all costs. ... If this can reach anyone, I hope, first they’ll seek help, but also (they’ll realize) there may be a person out there who’s doing the same things to other kids.”