TULSA -- A man is in jail after police said he made lewd gestures at children and propositioned them for sex.
A parent's worst nightmare becomes reality in one east Tulsa neighborhood after a man is reportedly seen fondling himself from his apartment window. Residents at the Madison Park apartments said they're in shock.
A man they've seen around the complex occasionally, is now accused of a disturbing crime. Police said Walter Lopez-Martinez propositioned three underage children for sex, offering them $100.
On a separate incident, police said Lopez-Martinez also fondled himself in his apartment window while a 13-year-old and 9-year-old noticed from the playground below. The 13-year-old told her mother, who then reported the man to police.
Police were able to identify Lopez-Martinez and served a search warrant on his home. He was arrested on Monday and is being held at the Tulsa County Jail without bond.
Situations like these can be frightful for parents and experts are warning what to look out for.
“Signs would be positioning themselves around playgrounds or around places that kids play often and trying to bribe children,” Sarah King, a child therapist with Family & Children Services, said.
As a parent there are things you can do to keep your children safe.
“We teach kids in our department the rule of stop, go, tell,” King said. “We tell them to yell stop, run away if they can to get away as soon as possible, and then to go tell a trusted adult.”
Therapists said having these conversations with your kids as young as 2 years old can better equip them for scary situations.
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