A former Tulsa County sheriff's deputy accused last summer of raping an 11-year-old girl faces new charges of possession of child pornography.
Josh Wood, 33, resigned from the Tulsa County Sheriff's Department in January 2016 after having been placed on administrative leave during an internal affairs investigation two months before.
He was no longer a deputy last June when an 11-year-old girl reported that Wood raped and sexually assaulted her when he was transporting her from his house, where she had been playing with friends, to her home to pick up clothes for a sleepover.
The girl said that as Wood drove her to her house, he asked her if she knew about sex. The girl told authorities that when she told him she did not, he sexually assaulted her in order to "teach" her about it. She says she told him multiple times to stop.
Reports say the girl accused Wood of exposing himself to her again on the way back to his house, and that he again sexually assaulted her. She says he told her no one would see because of the vehicle's tinted windows and that what had happened in the vehicle was "our little secret."
Wood was arrested last July and booked into the Wagoner County Jail, but released the next day on $100,000 bond.
Now, detectives say that they have uncovered more than 200 images of child pornography during their investigation into the allegations against the former deputy.
A judge issued a warrant for Wood's arrest on two counts of aggravated possession of child pornography. He turned himself in to authorities yesterday, and was released on $50,000 bond.
Wood was originally charged with first degree rape, but that count has been amended to child sexual abuse. According to 21 O.S. § 843.5, the sexual abuse of a child under 12 is a felony punishable by 25 years to life in prison.
Aggravated possession of child pornography refers to the possession of 100 or more sexually explicit images of minors under the age of 18, whether that is 100 separate images or multiple copies of the same image. Aggravated possession of child pornography is a felony sex crime punishable by a maximum of life in prison.
Anyone charged with a crime is to be considered innocent unless proven guilty, and an allegation of a crime is not an indicator of guilt. If you or someone you love is facing arrest and criminal charges, contact an attorney at once. Call Coventon Criminal Defense at (405) 417-4832.
