Muldrow man charged with second count of lewd molestation

AMIE CATO-REMER

EDITOR

A Muldrow man has been charged with a second felony count of lewd molestation after he reportedly touched a minor under the age of 16 inappropriately.

William O. Reed, 32, was charged Aug. 2 in Sequoyah County District Court and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest the same day, according to court records. He was first charged on July 12 of this year and received a $25,000 bond. He is now scheduled for an Aug. 17 felony disposition docket and an Aug. 10 arraignment with Associate District Judge Kyle Waters.

Sequoyah County Sheriff‚s investigator Cindy Smith reported receiving a report in January in reference to allegations of sexual abuse involving a minor under the age of 16. The minor told authorities after waking up one morning, they saw Reed with one foot on a bed and the other in the doorway, reportedly pulling up his underwear and shorts. The minor claimed Reed then touched the minor inappropriately.

Smith spoke with Reed by phone on Jan. 12 and he agreed to meet with the investigator at the Sheriff‚s Office. Smith reported he believed the minor had made some allegations against him.

According to Reed, it was hot in the home that morning when he got up so he went into the bathroom to turn down the heater. As he walked by the bedroom the minor was in, one of the dogs in the bedroom allegedly started barking and he said he didn‚t want the dog to wake the minor up. He claimed he went into the bedroom to get the dog to make it stop barking and had to crawl over the minor to gain access to the dog so he could swat it. He said the dog ran to the foot of the bed the minor was in and then stopped barking. He said he turned the heat down and then went back to bed, according to the affidavit in the case.

Reed also claimed he didn‚t know anything was wrong until he was asked by the minor‚s mother if he had touched the minor inappropriately. He said he told her no and then the mother left the residence with the minor.

When Smith asked Reed about the allegations against him, he denied ever touching the minor and said he didn‚t know why the minor would think that. Reed gave a written statement and then left the Sheriff‚s Office. Smith then submitted the case file to the Sequoyah County District Attorney‚s office for review.

District Attorney Jack Thorp said if found guilty of the charge, each count is punishable by imprisonment for up to three to 20 years.