Israel Castillo Pleads Not Guilty in Tulsa Church Sex Case

Huffington Post
February 1, 2013

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/01/israel-castillo-church-sex-case_n_2599993.html

This handout photo provided by the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office shows Israel Shalom Castillo. Castillo was arrested Thursday morning after turning himself in at the Tulsa, Okla. jail. He is charged with making a lewd proposal to a child and using a computer to commit a sex crime. Five ministry employees of Victory Christian Center, in Tulsa, Okla. have been charged by authorities for waiting two weeks before reporting to police the alleged rape of the 13-year-old. Police say the girl is among a

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TULSA, Okla. -- A judge has entered a not-guilty plea on behalf of a former janitor charged with making a lewd proposal to a 14-year-old girl at a megachurch in Tulsa.

Israel Castillo said nothing during his arraignment Friday morning. A judge entered the plea on his behalf and scheduled an Aug. 19 trial date.

Castillo claims he did not know the girl was underage when he allegedly sent explicit Facebook messages to her. Prosecutors say Castillo had known the girl for at least two years and met her in person.

If convicted, Castillo could face 20 years in prison.

Another former Victory Christian Center employee – 20-year-old Chris Denman – was sentenced in December to 55 years in prison after pleading guilty to raping a 13-year-old girl in a church stairwell.