Tahlequah man sentenced to 17 years for multiple counts of child sexual abuse

TAHLEQUAH, OKLA (KTUL) — A 7-22 year old Tahlequah man was sentenced to 17 years in prison for two counts of abusive sexual contact in Indian Country.

Phillip Dale Wilson pleaded guilty to the charges in December 2023.

According to investigators, between December 1999 and November 2005, Wilson sexually abused a child he knew was under the age of 12.

In addition, he sexually abused a second child under the age of 12 between 2004 and 2011.

Investigation revealed that Wilson abused three more children between 2001 and 2015.

“Thanks in large part to the courage of the victims and the exceptional investigative work of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI, the suspect will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson . “No amount of prison time can undo the physical and emotional damage the suspect has caused to his victims, but I hope they can find some measure of peace knowing that the suspect no longer poses a threat to them or other children. ”

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