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Date: 06-24-2021
Case Style:
Case Number: 4:21-cr-00023-GKF
Judge: Gregory K. Frizzell
Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma (Tulsa County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: United States District Attorney’s Office
Defendant's Attorney:
Description: Tulsa, Oklahoma child sex abuse charge criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant, Jeffrey Arch Jones, age 31.
Defendant was charged with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child in Indian Country and one count of abusive sexual contact of a child in Indian Country.
“Make no mistake, Jeffrey Jones is a child sexual predator,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Today’s conviction ensures Jones will no longer be able to harm another child while he is in federal prison. I want to thank the two young victims who bravely testified at trial and confronted Jeffery Jones with his actions.”
Jones, a Cherokee citizen, was previously convicted of sexually abusing the two victims in Tulsa County District Court but appealed his conviction, arguing the state did not have jurisdiction to prosecute the case because the crime occurred within the Muscogee Nation Reservation and he was a tribal citizen. The case was then prosecuted in federal court.
From Sept. 29, 2015 to Sept 28, 2016, Jones sexually abused a young child. He also sexually abused a second child from Oct. 9, 2014 to Sept. 30, 2016.
On Feb. 2, 2017, one of the victims disclosed to a teacher that the defendant had been touching her in a sexual manner. School officials contacted the Broken Arrow Police Department. During the ensuing investigation, it was determined the second child was also sexually abused by Jones.
Today, in closing arguments, Assistant U.S. Attorney Reagan Reininger reminded the jury of the testimony of expert witnesses, law enforcement, and the victims. She assured the jury the children had no incentive to lie and that the medical evidence corroborated the type of sexual abuse reported by the victims. She described how their behavior and disclosures were similar to that seen in other child sexual abuse victims. She explained how some victims disclose abuse on their own when they are ready, but others may be asked about abuse before they are fully ready to disclose what happened to them, as in the case of the second victim. She explained how difficult it had been for the two victims to describe the abuse to others repeatedly since 2017, including this week in court. Finally, Reininger reminded the jury that child sexual abuse is perpetrated in secrecy, behind closed doors, in moments when the abuser is alone with a child. She asked the jury to evaluate the evidence, including the children’s accounts, and to find Jeffrey Jones guilty.
The jury deliberated nearly two hours before returning guilty verdicts on all three counts.
“Today’s conviction was a result of the diligent work performed by agents and officers of the FBI and Broken Arrow Police Department as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reagan Reininger and Leah Paisner. I appreciate their dedication to protecting children,” Johnson said.
18:1151, 1153, and 2241(c): Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child in Indian Country
(1)
18 USC 1151, 1153 and 2241(c): Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country
(1s)
18:1151, 1153, and 2244(a)(5): Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child in Indian Country
(2)
18 USC 1151, 1152, and 2244(a)(5): Abusive Sexual Contact of a Minor in Indian Country
(2s)
Outcome: 06/21/2021 67 MINUTES of Proceedings - held before Judge Gregory K Frizzell: Voir Dire/Jury Selection began as to Jeffery Arch Jones (kjp, Dpty Clk) (Entered: 06/21/2021)
06/21/2021 68 MINUTES of Proceedings - held before Judge Gregory K Frizzell: Voir Dire/Jury Selection held on 6/21/2021 as to Jeffery Arch Jones (Court Reporter: Brian Neil) (kjp, Dpty Clk) (Entered: 06/21/2021)
06/21/2021 69 MINUTES of Proceedings - held before Judge Gregory K Frizzell: Jury Trial began as to Jeffery Arch Jones (kjp, Dpty Clk) (Entered: 06/21/2021)
06/21/2021 70 MINUTES of Proceedings - held before Judge Gregory K Frizzell: Jury Trial held and will reconvene 6/22/2021, setting/resetting deadline(s)/hearing(s): ( Jury Trial set for 6/22/2021 at 09:00 AM before Judge Gregory K Frizzell) as to Jeffery Arch Jones (Court Reporter: Brian Neil) (kjp, Dpty Clk) (Entered: 06/21/2021)
06/22/2021 71 First MOTION in Limine by Jeffery Arch Jones (Hilfiger, Ben) (Entered: 06/22/2021)
06/22/2021 72 STIPULATION (Re: 57 Trial Brief, 60 Stipulation ) by USA as to Jeffery Arch Jones (Paisner, Leah) (Entered: 06/22/2021)
06/22/2021 73 MINUTES of Proceedings - held before Judge Gregory K Frizzell: Jury Trial held and will reconvene 6/23/2021, setting/resetting deadline(s)/hearing(s): ( Jury Trial set for 6/23/2021 at 09:00 AM before Judge Gregory K Frizzell) as to Jeffery Arch Jones (Court Reporter: Brian Neil) (kjp, Dpty Clk) (Entered: 06/22/2021)
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
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