SEQUOYAH COUNTY (KSFM) -- A Sequoyah County jailer was arrested Wednesday (Nov. 8) on suspicion of rape, according to Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane.
Dakota Lynch is accused of impregnating a 13-year-old girl. Investigators said Lynch was 18 at the time, and he had been employed as a jailer for only two months.
The incident happened over a year ago, according to investigators.
"Several young people were at a Muldrow residence having some kind of a party. Apparently Mr. Lynch was intoxicated and a sexual encounter happened with him and an underage female," Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane said.
Lynch is being held on a $50,000 bond at the Sallisaw Jail.
Investigators said a DNA test proved Lynch to be the father. Lane said an extensive background check is performed on each employee before being hired. He said the department did not know about the investigation because there were no criminal charges at that time.
"In the state of Oklahoma, anybody under the age of 16 can't give consent," Lane said. "He told us that he was told back then that everything was taken care of and this wouldn't go any further. But, like I said, I didn't ask him who told him that and it really doesn't matter but we got a crime with a victim and we are going to pursue it no matter who they are, our employee or anybody else."