Tulsa foster parent charged with abuse is arrested on plane headed to Costa Rica

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Tulsa World

Tulsa foster parent charged with abuse is arrested on plane headed to Costa Rica
By GINNIE GRAHAM World Staff Writer
Published: 3/26/2011 2:27 AM
Last Modified: 3/26/2011 6:11 AM

A Tulsa foster parent charged with sexually abusing a 6-year-old girl in his care was arrested Friday morning in Houston on a Continental flight bound for Costa Rica, law enforcement officials said.

Donald Ellis Lehmbeck, 63, was charged with two counts of child sexual abuse and one count of possession of obscene or indecent writings, stemming from allegations made by a foster child, according to charges and a search warrant affidavit. The victim's sister, also a foster child in Lehmbeck's care, reported the incident to their mother during a supervised visit, the affidavit states.

A search warrant was executed Tuesday at his residence on the 6800 block of West 41st Place, according to court records.

Deputies had been tracking Lehmbeck's movements and knew he was scheduled for an international flight in Houston on Friday, said Tulsa County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Yerton.

Read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20110326_11_A1_ULNSbf482902

[IScreamSundays]

1. Sometimes you wonder where God is...

Here are these children already devastated by having to be removed from their biological parent(s) only to be delivered into the hands of monsters. This world is so f-ed up.

[beyurslf]

2. As a foster parent, it just sickens me that this happens.

And these are always the foster parents who make the news. I hope they give him an extra punishment for doing this to children he fostered.

[jwirr]

3. It is always the bad ones that make the news rather it is foster parents,

teachers, health care professionals or any other kind of people who serve the public. It sounds like the police let him make a run for it in order to strengthen the case against him. I know flight does not prove guilt but it can when coupled with other evidence. I hope they give him a life sentence.

[WhiteTara]

5. I hope they do too.

I was a CASA for several years and unfortunately, in about 90% of my children's foster parents were charged with sexual abuse of their charges! It was so horrifying! One of my children was molested twice! The system was terrible. One of the counselors (male) at the premier children's services group was convicted of molestation. Fortunately, my children finally grew up and were able to get out of the system. I have multiple horror stories from my time as a CASA and my children were so sweet and innocent and hurt and bounced about and used as social experiments by the workers of the system. I hated them all. I made a few of them cry. I was given an assignment that was supposed to last a year and turned into almost 8 consisting of 3 children.

[madokie]

4. Apparently it wasn't the first time he's been suspected of being a deviate

He should have been culled from the herd years ago from what I could tell reading that story this morning.