McCurtain County Madness - Page 1
Only in Oklahoma can a 40-something year old man sexually abuse a child for two years, impregnate her twice - fathering two children, escape without criminal charges being filed against him and then sue for custody of the children, gain custody of one and be awarded child support from the victim he sexually assaulted over a period of two years.
As far-fetched as such a scenario may seem to civilized persons, that is exactly what has happened in McCurtain County, Oklahoma.
The 'star players' in this hideous case of justice run amok are as follows:
Admitted child rapist John Keith Tucker, age 45, a resident of McCurtain
County, Oklahoma. Tucker is reportedly single and works repairing
gaming machines at Indian casinos.
Melonie Hamm Knutson, age 19, a mother of four, she with her husband
lives in Carthage, Mississippi and has authorized the release of her name in
media reports. At 14 years of age Melonie Hamm became the rape victim of
John Keith Tucker. Tucker was at the time about 40 years old.
Between the time the victim was 14 and 16 years of age she was sexually
abused by Tucker and became pregnant twice owing to that sexual abuse.
The children at the center of this case are a boy who is now 5 years old and
a girl who is now 4.
McCurtain County Associate District Judge Michael DeBerry who awarded custody
of the 5 year old boy to admitted rapist John Keith Tucker, ordered the
child's last name be changed to Tucker and ordered the rape victim to pay
Tucker $150 per-month in child support. Judge DeBerry stated that
Tucker "has provided a stable lifestyle for the minor child."
First Assistant District Attorney Jon Lagerberg who refuses to file second-degree
rape charges against John Keith Tucker in spite of Tucker's admission
that he did in fact have sexual intercourse with the girl and that he fathered
her two children before the victim reached 16 years of age, the age of consent.
Lagerberg was quoted in the news media as stating, "I really thought at the
time that all of these issues were before the court, and it seemed like a
snowball's chance in hell that she would lose those kids, and she'd get a
pretty nice child support payment out of it."
This shocking story started back in October, 2000 when Tucker, then about 40 years old had sexual intercourse with then 14 year old Melonie Hamm. Oklahoma law both then and now specifies 16 as the lawful age of consent, therefore any sexual intercourse between the two constitutes the criminal offense of second-degree rape on the part of the adult. Under Oklahoma law, a 14 year old can not lawfully consent to sex with an adult under any condition.
Media reports indicate that at the time of the rape, Hamm was living with
the Tucker family and in testimony before the court in the child custody case
the victim stated:
"I was 14, and he said he used to change my diapers, and he was waiting for
me to grow up so he could do this to me. I certainly don't want
him around my little girl because I have no doubt he'll do it to her if he
has the chance."
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