Child Advocacy Center of Central Oklahoma

10/31/2026

🎃👻 Even Ghostface has childhood trauma to unpack. 👻🎃

Today’s forensic interview was a little outside our normal age range… and apparently involved a LOT of unresolved issues from Woodsboro. 😂🔪

Typically, our forensic interviewers work with children ages 3–17, but did you know we also provide forensic interviews for adults with developmental delays when appropriate.

Our interviewers are trained to create a safe, neutral environment where individuals can tell their story in their own words without judgment or leading questions.

Even if that story starts with, “So… tell me about your childhood, Mr. Ghostface.” 😂👻

From all of us at the Child Advocacy Center of Central Oklahoma, have a safe and Happy Halloween! 🎃🖤

And remember… if someone calls asking, “What’s your favorite scary movie?” maybe just let that one go to voicemail. 😂☎️

Disclaimer: No Ghostfaces were actually forensically interviewed in the making of this post. 😂 This is just our team having a little Halloween fun! 🎃

10/30/2026

Today was a special day for Judicial District 23 as Daniel McClure was officially sworn in as District Attorney!

Our work at the Child Advocacy Center is only possible through strong partnerships with the professionals who investigate, prosecute, and respond to crimes against children. We are grateful for Daniel’s continued commitment to victims, families, and the multidisciplinary team approach that makes this work stronger.

Congratulations, District Attorney McClure! We look forward to continuing to work alongside you and your team in service to the children and families of Pottawatomie and Lincoln Counties. 💙⚖️

10/29/2026

Our lead forensic interviewer, Vanessa Guinn, did an incredible job testifying in this trial earlier this week!

What many people don’t realize is just how many hours of preparation go into testifying in each case rewatching forensic interviews, reviewing the case, researching, and preparing for any question the defense attorney may ask while on the stand.

We are also incredibly proud of the victim in this case, who took the stand and testified. They showed tremendous courage and bravery in facing the person who caused them so much harm.

While no sentence can undo the effects of the abuse they endured, we hope that knowing he will never walk free again brings some measure of comfort and closure after years of uncertainty. 💙

Fugitive Returned to Hughes County to Face Justice After Years on the Run; Jury Returns Max Sentences

HUGHES COUNTY, OKLAHOMA — District Attorney Erik Johnson announced that a Hughes County jury found Brandon Michael Hughes, 38, guilty of multiple felonies involving the sexual abuse of a child, following a trial before District Judge Brett Butner. The verdict came after years of delay when Hughes fled before his previously scheduled jury trial in 2022.

A warrant for Hughes’s arrest was issued on May 31, 2022. The United States Marshals Service continued efforts to locate him until he was apprehended in 2025 in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and returned to Oklahoma to face trial. The jury found him guilty in Case Nos. CF-2018-36 and CF-2021-51.

In Case No. CF-2018-36, the jury convicted Hughes of first-degree r**e involving a child under 14, forcible so**my, lewd molestation, and forcible oral so**my. In Case No. CF-2021-51, the jury convicted him with possession of child po*******hy. The jury recommended life without parole for the r**e count, life for lewd molestation, and 20 years each for the remaining three counts of forcible oral So**my, Forcible so**my, and possession of child po*******hy.

“Cases like this become extraordinarily difficult to prosecute as the years pass. Witnesses move, memories fade, law-enforcement reports grow older, and victims may understandably be reluctant to revisit traumatic events,” Johnson said. “But the young woman that was the victim in this case showed remarkable strength. She came into the courtroom, told the jury what happened, and testified effectively despite everything she had endured. Her courage is what stands out to me most.”

Reassembling a case nearly eight years after the underlying events required prosecutors to locate and prepare witnesses, review older investigative materials, and reconstruct the evidence for trial. Johnson credited Assistant District Attorneys Chris Hauger and Blayne Norman for their persistence and careful preparation.

“Chris Hauger and Blayne Norman did exceptional work rebuilding this case and presenting it to a jury,” Johnson said. “The passage of time created real obstacles, but both Blayne and Chris had the tenacity and drive necessary to bring justice for this young women.”

“This young woman refused to let what happened to her define her future,” Norman said. “Her strength and determination throughout this process were extraordinary.”

Judge Butner set formal sentencing for December 15, 2026. The jury’s sentencing recommendations are not yet the court’s final sentence.

Johnson expressed particular appreciation to the United States Marshals Service for its sustained efforts to locate Hughes and bring him back to face trial, and to the Hughes County Sheriff’s Office for its work in the case. He also thanked the Holdenville Police Department, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and especially District 22 Chief Investigator Doug Parker for their investigative work and assistance.

Media Contact
Leena Rudolph
Public Information Officer

10/29/2026

💙 Help us bring a little comfort to children on some of their hardest days.

Every week, children walk through the doors of the Child Advocacy Center of Central Oklahoma during incredibly difficult moments. Sometimes, something as simple as a soft stuffed animal to hold, a warm blanket, or a favorite snack can help them feel just a little safer and more comfortable.

And we need our community’s help keeping those items stocked! 🧸💙

We are currently collecting:

🧸 New or gently used stuffed animals
💙 New blankets
🍿 Individually packaged snacks and drinks

Consider hosting a comfort item drive at your workplace, church, civic group, organization, or among your friends and family—or simply pick up an extra item the next time you’re at the store.

Want to help us keep these items stocked all year long? Become a monthly donor for just $5, $10, or $25 a month. Small, consistent gifts add up and help us make sure comfort is always within reach when a child needs it most.

💙 Become a monthly donor here:
https://givebutter.com/Ii5R31

These may feel like small things, but to a child sitting in our Center on a really hard day, they can mean so much.

Together, we can make sure every child who walks through our doors has something that reminds them they are cared for. 💙

10/27/2026

Today, Harlee Miller did something incredibly courageous.

Harlee was just 14 years old when she found the courage to disclose the abuse she had endured. Not long after, she walked through the doors of the Unzner Center what is now the Child Advocacy Center of Central Oklahoma for her first forensic interview. She remembered being caught off guard because it looked like an ordinary house, and she remembered the people inside who helped her navigate one of the most difficult times of her life.

Today, years later, Harlee stood in front of our multidisciplinary team and shared some of the most painful moments of her life not because they are easy to revisit, but because she understands the power her lived experience has to make us better at what we do.

There is something incredibly powerful about that full-circle moment.

The child who once walked into a Child Advocacy Center needing people to listen, believe her, protect her, and advocate for her is now an MDT Coordinator with the Iowa Tribe, using her experience and her voice to help make the system better for the children who come after her.

Her story gave our team an opportunity to see this work through the eyes of the child on the other side of the investigation.

The way we respond when a child first speaks. The words we choose. Whether we listen. Whether we believe them. Whether we follow through. Whether we make them feel like a case to manage or a person who matters.

For those of us doing this work every day, it can be easy to move from one case to the next without realizing that a conversation, a response, or a seemingly small act of kindness may stay with a child for the rest of their life.

Harlee ended her message with a reminder I hope everyone in that room carries with them:

“Kids need to know that they matter. Show them as much kindness as you can because you just might be the first person to bless them with it.”

I am incredibly grateful for her willingness to trust our team with her story and to use some of the hardest parts of her life to help the professionals in that room better understand the impact of every interaction they have with victims and families.

Harlee, thank you for your courage, your vulnerability, and for reminding all of us that how we do this work matters just as much as the work itself. 💙

10/26/2026

Today was a reminder of exactly why multidisciplinary teamwork matters. 💙🧡

We were proud to bring together professionals from across Judicial District 23 for our 2026 Annual MDT Training: Voice of Children as Evidence.

Law enforcement, child welfare, prosecutors, advocates, forensic interviewers, medical and mental health professionals, tribal partners, and other members of our multidisciplinary team spent the day learning together, strengthening relationships, challenging the way we think, and sharpening the skills we use every day to serve children and families.

The work we do is difficult, and none of us can do it alone. When every discipline brings its expertise to the table, communicates well, and works toward the same goal, we create a stronger response for children who need us most.

Thank you to every presenter, partner, and MDT member who gave their time and energy to today. We are incredibly grateful for the people who continue to show up, work together, and make sure the voices of children are heard.

Different roles. One team. One mission. Giving children a voice.

10/16/2026

Happy Boss’s Day, KC Campbell! We’re thankful you’re ours. 💙

KC leads with purpose, passion, and heart. She believes in servant leadership setting the example, standing beside her team, making the hard decisions, and always keeping the children and families we serve at the center of the work.

She understands the weight of what we do and takes caring for her team seriously. She believes in work-life balance and self-care, and in making sure we can be there for our own children’s big moments so we can be fully present for another family during some of their hardest moments.

Thank you for leading us, believing in us, and ensuring we have the resources to keep doing this incredibly heavy work.