Stephen P. Burk - Repeat Sex Offender - Preying on Kids

Police arrested a registered sex offender Thursday who has been charged with indecent exposure and making an indecent proposal to a child. Authorities also believe there may be more victims.

Enid Police Department detectives arrested Stephen P. Burk, 53, at his home, 1320 S. Adams, Wednesday morning on complaints of lewd propositions to a minor and indecent exposure.

Police were contacted May 19 concerning a man propositioning an 8-year-old girl, and during their investigation learned the same man allegedly exposed himself to a 7-year-old girl the same day.

Police Chief Rick West encouraged parents to ask their children if they have had any contact with Burk, and if so, to file a report.

“We are going to continue to do our part to notify the public about the sex offenders living in our community,” West said. “It’s necessary if we have additional victims that they come forward.”

Police had notified neighbors of Burk’s status as a sex offender using fliers and making phone calls.

West wanted to remind parents to take proper precautions to protect their children.

“It’s imperative parents take us seriously,” he said. “Parents need to take an active role in ensuring the safety of their children.”

If parents learn their children have been propositioned or have had someone expose themselves to them, they should contact Enid Police Depart-ment at 242-7000 and ask to speak with someone in the Juvenile Crimes Division.

Police spoke with the mother of the 8-year-old girl May 19 when she reported she had left her daughter in her van while taking groceries into her mother’s house in the 1400 block of South Jefferson, according to court documents. The woman said she heard her daughter scream and ran outside to the van and found her daughter crying. The girl told her mother a man had approached her and asked if she liked to have sex, according to the affidavit.

The girl described the man as being in his 40s with a thin build and wearing dark denim jeans, a white T-shirt and a dark-colored back pack strap-ped around the chest. The girl said the man had gray hair that had grown down to his ears. An officer then canvassed the neighborhood and provided a description of the man to neighbors.

On May 21, a neighbor who had been given a description of the man by police called and reported seeing the man walking in the area. Police stopped a man in the 700 block of West Rush matching the description given by the 8-year-old girl. They identified the man as Burk and arrested him for public intoxication, according to the affidavit.

On May 22, police spoke with another parent who said about 5:30 p.m. May 19 he was told by his 16-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter while they were outside a man began to follow them. The man said his children told him the man placed his hands down the front of his pants.

The man said about 8:30 that evening his family again saw the man walking past their residence. He described the man as having gray hair past his ears, wearing dark jeans, a white T-shirt and a dark-colored back pack.

Police spoke with the 7-year-old May 22, and the girl said the man she and her brother saw pulled his shorts down to his mid-thigh and exposed his “private” to her. When shown a photo lineup by police, the girl identified Burk as the man, according to the affidavit.

Burk was notified March 23 by Department of Correc-tions his status as a registered sex offender had been changed to habitual sex offender, requiring him to register with law enforcement every 90 days. Previously, Burk only had to register with law enforcement annually. He has felony and misdemeanor convictions in Alaska for indecent exposure.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"

.........Sarah Tofte