From the Oklahoma Department of Justice:
A Sapulpa man, who was arrested after a young child ran away from him and reported his sex abuse crimes to a federal agent in a restaurant parking lot, was sentenced Wednesday for sexually abusing two young victims, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Andrew Lee Gibbs, 64, to 30 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.
“A young victim ran from her abuser Andrew Gibbs unknowingly into the hands of a Homeland Security Investigations agent with 10 years of experience working crimes against children,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Every day, I am reminded of the strength exhibited by victims of crime and of the dedication exhibited by agents and officers sworn to protect communities across Oklahoma. Both are critical to the successful prosecution of dangerous criminals.”
In October 2021, a federal jury found Gibbs guilty of abusive sexual contact of a minor in Indian Country and aggravated sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country.
The jury found that on March 7, 2021, Gibbs knowingly touched the first victim in a sexual manner. They further found that on the same day, the defendant sexually abused a second child, who was also under the age of 12. After the sexual assaults, one of the children broke away from Gibbs, and eventually ran up to a man in a restaurant parking lot, told him that the defendant did an “unsafe touch,” and begged the man for help. The man, who happened to be a Homeland Security Investigations special agent, then called 911. Gibbs soon arrived, but the child accused him of abuse. He left then returned a few minutes later with the child’s mother. When she heard of the abuse, she removed her remaining children from his vehicle.
A Child Abuse Forensic Interviewer later spoke with both victims who stated that Gibbs, an adult they had trusted, sexually abused them in his vehicle during an outing to a park. Following the visit to the park, Gibbs took the children to a nearby store where one ran away and sought help.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Valeria Luster and Chantelle D. Dial prosecuted the case.
