Federal Jury Found Pryor Man Guilty of Sexual Abuse

TULSA, Okla. – A jury deliberated less than two hours today prior to convicting Adam Joseph King, 35, of Pryor, for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country and Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country. The minor victim is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

“Today, a jury held Adam King accountable for his abusive actions towards an innocent child,” U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson said. “This guilty verdict resulted because of the courage of the child victim and the collaborative work among local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, demonstrating a commitment to the Justice Department's Project Safe Childhood initiative.”

"A defenseless child suffered at the hands of Adam King. These cases are among the most difficult for the FBI, but they are also the most impactful,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Kaplan of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “Thanks to our partnership with the Catoosa Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, this depraved individual will now face justice for his terrible crimes.”

According to evidence presented at trial, from Nov. 2017 through Aug. 2021, King knowingly engaged in a sexual act with a minor under 12. In 2017, King rekindled a relationship with a former girlfriend with an eight-year-old daughter. Shortly after the girlfriend moved in with King, he began sexually abusing the child while her mother was at work.

During the trial, the child victim described the sexual abuse she received and reported the abuse to a school counselor. Experts further testified that the evidence collected from King’s bedroom matched the DNA of the child victim.

The investigation showed that King and his girlfriend, the mother of the victim,  denied any wrongdoing by King. Once the investigation began, the minor victim was removed from the mother’s home and placed in the custody of her grandparents. 

King will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

The FBI, the Catoosa Police Department, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Valeria Luster and Matthew Cyran prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.