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March 8, 2013

15 child sex abuse charges added

NORMAN — A Noble woman had 15 additional child sex abuse charges filed against her after a preliminary hearing Thursday morning in Cleveland County District Court.

Michelle Danae Walker, 44, is now charged with a total of 20 criminal acts. Walker was part of a fugitive trio arrested in Vancouver, Wash., in August after search warrants for her home and a Moore couple’s home were issued in relation to sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl.

The other two involved were Joseph and Danyale Siford.

Walker was originally charged in September with three counts of forcible oral sodomy, first-degree rape by instrumentation and the production of juvenile pornography.

Thursday morning, the charges were changed to the following: three counts of first degree rape, four counts of rape by instrumentation to a victim under the age of 14, four counts of prucuring child pornography, eight counts of lewd acts with a minor and one count of soliciting sexual conduct or communication with a minor by use of technology.

Walker’s attorney, Keith Nedwick, did not return a phone call to comment on the additional charges added Thursday morning.

Walker is bound over for trial, according to the DA’s office. Walker’s formal arraignment has been set for 2:30 p.m. March 28 in Cleveland County District Court.

Charges against the Sifords: A preliminary hearing for Joseph Siford, 40, also was set for Thursday morning in front of Special District Judge Michael Tupper. Siford waived his preliminary hearing and is bound over for trial on a waiver, according to the District Attorney’s office.

His trial is set for 8:30 a.m. May 9 in front of District Judge Tracy Schumacher.

Siford is currently facing nine charges, including four counts of first-degree rape by instrumentation, two counts of first-degree rape with a victim under the age of 14, two counts of lewd acts with a child under 16 and one count of first-degree attempted rape.

Danyale Siford, 35, was charged with a misdemeanor of failure to report child abuse.

She entered into a blind plea in January and was sentenced to one year in county jail with credit to the time she had already served. Danyale Siford was charged Sept. 6 and bonded out Sept. 21.

Background information: According to the affidavit filed with charges against the trio, Walker reportedly introduced the 13-year-old girl to the Sifords after she “met them through a Facebook site called ‘Party Friends,’ which she later learned was a meeting spot for ‘swingers.’”

Walker and the Sifords allegedly engaged in sexual contact with each other in the child’s presence. One encounter between Joe Siford and the girl was video-taped, the affidavit stated.

The crimes allegedly occurred multiple times in Noble at Walker’s residence, in Moore at the Siford’s residence and at Thunderbird Lake in Norman.

Search warrants filed Aug. 21 in Cleveland County District Court show that the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office seized 24 items from the Sifords’ home and 19 items from Walker’s home.

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