Before he became a leading speaker for conservative purposes at Capitol Hill,USSenatorJames Lankfordhad 10 years. Over the above, the Fall Creek Baptist Conference Center is a vast campground about 80 miles south of the city ofOklahoma, attracting more than 50,000 campers from grades 6 to 12 each year. ..
The Republican's tenure at the camp is a hallmark of his political profile, as described in the first paragraph of his official Senate biography. The experience is also under new scrutiny as the Southern Baptist Convention, which is affiliated with the group that owns the camp, faces consideration of the handling of sexual abuse cases.
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In 2009, when Rankford was working in a camp, a family of 13-year-old girls had sex with a 15-year-old boy. I appealed. She is with her at the camp. Rankford, who was not present in Congress at the time, was not claimed to have had direct knowledge of the alleged assault, was not charged with fraud, and was not a defendant in the proceedings. He was going to trial.
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However, in the deposit of this case in 2010, since he was elected to the first term in the US House of Representatives 1 A week later, Rankford testified: He believed that 13 years old could agree to sex.
"Yes, I think I can," Rankford told Kenyatta Bethea, a lawyer for the girl's family, according to the Associated Press's 155-page deposition.
Oklahoma consent age 16 years However, with the exception of the law on minors between the ages of 14 and 17 who have sexual contact, there is no provision that a 13-year-old child can consent to sexual activity. "If I ask you that question about your father's position," Rankford maintained his stance when Bethea pushed if his answer was still the same.
"Yes, you can," he said.
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At the age of 13, additional questions about whether to allow two daughters to agree to sex Below, Rankford gave a broader answer.
"No, I don't encourage it at all," he said. "Can she make that choice? I hope she doesn't, but I never encourage it with my daughter."
Formal legal It is unknown whether the untrained Rankford knew the age of consent at the time of the testimony. It is also unclear if a criminal accusation was filed against a 15-year-old boy. The phone message left to Murray County District Attorney Craig Rudd was not returned.
Testimony has surfaced before Tuesday's primary for the Republican Senate nomination, which allows Rankford to seek another term. After his early concerns that he could be vulnerable to his right-hand challenge, he participates in the election in a strong position. The primary winners head for the fall general election, which is overwhelmingly popular in this deep Republican state.
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On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court passed a groundbreaking decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade case. Shortly after, Rankford tweeted. : "Today is a historic day for our country and life."
"I pray to our country for years to see the value of all our children." After talking and challenging, our country, the actions of the Supreme Court and the lifelong position of millions of Americans, "he said.
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Roev. WadeJudgment guaranteed the right to abortion for more than 50 years.
Today, when the Roe v. Wade case is overturned, is a wonderful day for our country.
"The Constitution does not give the right to abortion. Roe and Casey are dismissed and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to people and their elected representatives."
— Senator James Lankford (@SenatorLankford)June 24, 2022
Rankford's reelection campaign spokeswoman Ally Bailey said: Refused to comment on the story.
The revelation of Rankford's testimony is at a difficult moment for the Southern Baptist Convention.
A bitter investigation report conducted by an independent company found that top SBC leaders interfered with and injured survivors of sexual abuse of clerics while preserving their reputation. discovered. In response, the SBC voted overwhelmingly earlier this month to track pastors and other members of the Church who were accused of being sexually abused and credible, and launched a task force to oversee the further reforms of the country's largest Protestant sect. I launched it.
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This is the first sexual assault incident at Fall Creek, a 400-acre campsite in the Arbuckle Mountains. Not. The camp is now called the Oklahoma Baptist and is owned by the Oklahoma Baptist General Assembly, which is part of the SBC.
Benjamin Lauren Spetti pleaded guilty in 2018 for raping a 13-year-old Texas girl in a camp. According to her investigator, Petty, a cook at the camp, tied a rope to her wrist of her girl, raped her, and threatened to hurt her if she told anyone. Petty was finally sentenced to probation in this case, and the civil proceedings filed by the girl's family against the Baptist General Assembly in Oklahoma were resolved. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.
Rankford was not working in the camp when the attack occurred.
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Court records show that Rev. Loriwalk was a lawyer and senior minister of the Mayflower Congregation Church in Oklahoma City, who acted as an adlite to the guardian of a girl in Texas during a civil proceeding. Walk refused to talk about the details of the incident, but she said she attended Fall Creek as a young girl and was seriously concerned about how the camp was run.
She "notices that there are some things that make you feel sick, even as a kid," Walk said. "This true obsession with pure culture is overwhelming. The rules on clothing, especially for girls, were just obsessed."
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"And, generally speaking, in all other issues, the real lack of surveillance," she added. "It was absolutely due to the fact that there weren't enough adults around."
The Oklahoma Baptist answered a question about how many cases, including sexual misconduct at Fall Creek, were resolved. did not. In a statement, Managing Director Todd Fisher said a recent vote to approve the recommendations from the SBC's Task Force would bring about national reforms that needed.
"Oklahoma Baptists are already taking important steps to prevent abuse in Oklahoma and are grateful that all ministries and agencies, including camps, are implementing many best practices. "Fisher said.
Oklahoma Baptist spokesman Brian Hobs said Fall Creek best practices include mandatory background checks for people over the age of 18, increased security, and all camp staff and church leaders. He said it would include professionally developed safety training to bring the group to the camp. A protocol for reporting abuse or suspicion of abuse.
During the testimony, Rankford admitted that the director was not perfect, but said he had no problem sending his daughter to the camp, even when he was absent. rice field.
"I know that our adults care about our children, but the process is clearly that I know how all adults treat it. I can't guess, "Rankford said.
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