By: Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Payne County jury today convicted a 39-year-old Cushing man of one count of lewd molestation and one count of child sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl to whom he was related by marriage, court records show.
Jurors recommended that Aaron Leonard Cook be given a three-year prison term for molestation on Jan. 1, 2017, and a 10-year prison term for child sexual abuse between Dec. 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2016, court records show.
Cook, who had been free on bail, was remanded to the Payne County Jail by Associate District Judge Stephen Kistler, who ordered a background investigation of Cook pending his sentencing on May 18, court records show.
Cook originally stood trial in July of 2019 on a single count of lewd molestation of the girl, but that jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, a mistrial was declared, and his new trial was scheduled for this week, court records show.
On Jan. 1, 2017, the girl’s father reported to police that earlier in the day he was told by his ex-wife and his mother that his daughter had been touched inappropriately by Cook, Cushing Police Officer Shelby Sewell wrote in an affidavit four years ago.
The girl’s father said that Cook had a drinking problem, but the girl’s mother denied any drug or alcohol issues in the residence, the affidavit said.
“She did state Aaron was on mental health medications,” the affidavit alleged.
When the girl was interviewed at the Saville Center in Stillwater two days later, the then-12-year-old said that her father said he was going to beat up Cook “and she thought that was scary,” the affidavit said.
“She stated she knew he was only saying that because he wanted to keep her safe,” the affidavit said.
She said that her father told her he had to call the police “because it was the only way he knew how to keep her safe,” the affidavit said.
She said “this was the second time this sort of thing had occurred,” the affidavit said.
She said that about a week earlier, “Aaron (Cook) had stuck his hand up her shirt,” the affidavit said.
She said “Aaron does have a drinking issue. She stated he leaves several times a day to go and get beer from a local gas station.
“She stated he gets weird when he drinks and acts differently. She stated she was certain he had been drinking the first time he touched her,” the affidavit said.
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