Doctor jailed in child sex abuse

Tulsa World - September 25, 2002

Doctor jailed in child sex abuse

By NICOLE MARSHALL World Staff Writer

Published: 9/25/2002

Last Modified: 2/27/2007 9:04 AM

Tulsa police officers arrested a doctor Tuesday morning on four counts of sexually abusing a female relative, starting when the child was 7 years old.

James Loerke, 45, was charged Monday after admitting to the allegations in a seven page written statement to police, according to court records.

According to the statement, Loerke wrote that the girl had seduced him and that she "is not responsible at all even though she has promiscuous, seductive type behavior like a well-seasoned prostitute."

Loerke was arrested about 10:45 a.m. Tuesday by members of the Tulsa Police Department's Child Exploitation Unit, Cpl. Randy Lawmaster said.

Officers arrested Loerke at Meadowbrook Rehabilitation Hospital, 3219 S. 79th East Ave., Officer Scott Walton said.

A hospital administrator said Loerke leased a space at the facility, where he ran an independent clinic.

Loerke is a general practitioner, Walton said.

The crimes are alleged to have occurred over a three-year period.

The assaults ended about a year ago, when the 10-year-old girl refused to go into a bedroom with Loerke, court re cords show.

Police began investigating the allegations after the girl recently disclosed the information to her mother, court records show.

A court affidavit specifies several occasions when sexual contact allegedly occurred.

Each time, the assaults reportedly occurred at the suspect's house.

The affidavit also indicates that two other family members reportedly heard Loerke admit to touching the victim inappropriately.

Loerke was being held in the Tulsa Jail on $400,000 bail, jail records show.

Nicole Marshall, World staff writer, can be reached at 581-8459 or via e- mail at nicole.marshall@tulsaworld.com .