Last week, we began looking at false rape accusations and false child sexual assault allegations. The posts discussed the consequences of a false accusation, and even worse, a wrongful conviction.  

While traditional theory is that children don't lie about abuse, this theory has been repeatedly proven to be untrue.  Most false allegations of child    molestation are lodged by an adult on behalf of the child.  However, sometimes children do lie about being sexually abused.

False Accusations of Child Sex Abuse

One particular scenario of a child making false claims of sexual abuse against an adult is the "get a new daddy" phenomenon.  A child will accuse    his or her step-parent, or the romantic partner of a parent, of sexual assault in order to get him or her out of the picture.  

The phenomenon has become common enough that it has been satirized by the comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U Know.

While the above song attempts to take a light-hearted view of the scenario, the situation is anything but funny.  One falsely accused father chronicles    his horrific saga of false accusation on his blog.  He tells of being accused of assaulting a little girl at a party, and how his proclamation    of innocence was twisted into what seemed to be a confession on his "statement," which was written entirely by the interviewing officer.  He tells    of being removed from his own home and separated from his own children based on the recommendations from Child Protective Services and the wrongful    accusation of a four-year-old girl.

An Unfortunate Example

One Oklahoma victim of false accusation, Timothy Durham,    was charged and convicted of raping an 11-year-old girl in Tulsa County, even though eleven alibi witnesses placed him at an event in Dallas at the time of the alleged incident.  

Durham's ordeal began with the wrongful allegation of child rape in 1991 and continued until he was exonerated by DNA evidence in 1997.  Durham was    incarcerated for 3-1/2 years before his conviction was overturned. If you are the victim of false child sexual assault allegations,  do not speak to police, DHS or child protective services workers, or anyone else about the events without an Oklahoma City sex crimes defense lawyer    present.

Hire Legal Representation if You're Charged

An experienced law firm knows the ways in which your own words and expressions of innocence can    be twisted and used against you.  The consequences of a false claim of child sex abuse can be devastating and lifelong.  Be sure to immediately    seek competent, knowledgeable defense counsel if you are wrongfully accused of sexual abuse in Oklahoma.