In a shocking revelation, a respected Oklahoma pastor has been accused of prolonged child sexual abuse and incest by his own daughter.
Bertheophilus Maurice "Judge" Bailey Sr., the former pastor of St. Andrew Christian Church in Tulsa, allegedly began the abuse when his daughter was in the sixth grade. The accusations were made public in a social media post by the victim herself, who felt compelled to expose her father's predatory behavior.
According to The Blaze, the victim, Harmony Oates, detailed her traumatic experiences in a Facebook post. "As a victim of sexual and mental abuse at the hands of Pastor Bailey for over a decade, I feel compelled to warn others about his predatory behavior," she wrote. "Despite his status as a respected member of the community, it is essential to shed light on his actions to prevent further harm to unsuspecting individuals."
The abuse reportedly started under the guise of prayer, with Bailey using these moments to touch his daughter inappropriately. As she grew older, the abuse escalated. "He would pray over me at first, but he would do a lot of touching while he was praying," Oates revealed to KJRH-TV.
The allegations against Bailey are further supported by incriminating text messages purportedly exchanged between the father and daughter. In one such message, Bailey reportedly confessed, "I am an adulterer. I am a child molester. I am a rapist." Police also claim that Bailey admitted to watching incestuous pornography and acting out what he saw in these explicit videos. Additional evidence, including recordings and witness statements, have been gathered to substantiate Oates' accusations.
Oates shared her struggle to separate the image of her father from his actions, saying, "The thing is whenever I was a kid I separated my dad from who he was. I had to that's the only way I survived. I would call him my best friend only to hide the reality of what I was living." She first confided in her husband and brother before having the difficult conversation with her mother.
Bailey, who has since resigned from his pastoral position, is currently being held on a $500,000 bond. He faces charges of incest, child sexual abuse, forcible sodomy, first-degree burglary, and two counts of first-degree rape.
Despite the alleged abuse, Oates is finding her faith again. "I'm learning more and I know he has me and he has every other victim. And I know that he has been guiding me through this whole journey and I know he will come for me like a father even though my dad did not," she said.
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