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Preacher
Sentenced in Molestation
01/11/1996
(FINAL
HOME EDITION Edition), Page A4 of NEWS
A
Tulsa jury on Wednesday handed a 79-year-old Oakhurst
preacher prison terms totaling 30 years upon convicting
him of
molesting and sodomizing a 5-year-old girl.
William Euel Riley received 10 years on each of two counts
of
lewd molestation, and one count of forcible sodomy.
Jurors
acquitted him of another sodomy count.
The
verdicts were delivered after almost six hours of
deliberations, ending a three-day trial in Associate
District Judge
Bill Beasley's court.
Riley, pastor of
Mission of Love Pentecostal Church in Oakhurst,
denied the
allegations.
Riley said he had "no idea" why the girl, now
6, accused him of
improper conduct.
Prosecutor John
Priddy contended Riley committed the crimes in
March 1995,
when the girl and her 3-year-old sister stayed
overnight
with the defendant.
Defense attorney Creekmore Wallace
theorized family turmoil
prompted the girl to tell a false
story.
Another count was dismissed Monday, involving an
allegation that
Riley made an indecent proposal to the
sister. Priddy said he did
not want that girl, now 4, to
have to testify.
Riley, who had been free on $50,000 bail,
was jailed Wednesday
night. Formal sentencing is set for
Feb. 15, one day before his
80th birthday.
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