Police arrested a Tulsa man accused of attempting to have sex with a teenage girl in a west Tulsa park Friday evening.
Officers responded to a call for lewd molestation at Reed Park in the 4300 block of South Xenophon Avenue.
They say they found a passerby detaining 37-year-old Richard Peters. The passerby told police he heard a child screaming and set out to find the man the child described.
Police say the 13-year-old victim and her 11-year-old sister were walking in the park when they waved to Peters and started running when they realized he was following them.
According to an arrest report, Peters then grabbed the 13-year-old girl, forced her to the ground and hit her in the face. The report states Peters “maliciously and forcibly detained the child from [her] parent with the intent to sexually assault the child.”
Police say both of the children were injured during the altercation. They say Peters touched the 13-year-old girl in a lewd manner and attempted to force his hands under her shirt and pants.
Peters was arrested and taken to the detective division for questioning. According to the arrest report, he admitted to holding down the victim, who he believed was six or seven years old, and attempting to have sex with her.
Peter was booked for attempted lewd molestation of a minor, kidnapping and two counts of child abuse. He is being held on $175,000 bond.
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