Wednesday, September 11th 2024, 5:44 pm
An assistant police chief and his wife have been arrested on numerous complaints of abusing foster children in their care, according to authorities.
Jeffrey Louis Frisbie, 55, a longtime officer with the Prague Police Department is accused of sexually assaulting foster children who were placed in his home, according to authorities.
He is being held in jail on 22 complaints of lewd acts with a child, and two complaints of first-degree rape, authorities say.
His wife, Kimberly Ann Frisbie, 50, is accused of physically abusing their three foster children, who range in age from four to 10 years old. She was arrested on 17 complaints of physical child abuse including hitting, kicking, and attempting to strangle one of the children, according to authorities.
The District 23 District Attorney's Office began its investigation on August 3, 2024, following reports of abuse. According to authorities, the children were forensically interviewed at a Children’s Advocacy Center in Shawnee. The victims disclosed graphic details of how they were exposed to ongoing abuse while in the home. One child reported being forced to stand against the wall for hours as punishment and enduring physical violence from Kimberly Frisbie. Authorities also noted that another victim revealed that Jeffrey Frisbie had inappropriately touched her and her siblings over an extended period.
“The fact that the arrested was a member of law enforcement, in a position of trust within the community, is both disappointing and appalling,” said Lincoln County District Attorney Adam R. Panter.
Investigators say the children claimed they were threatened not to report the abuse, with Jeffrey Frisbie warning them they would get into trouble if they spoke out.
One of the children described the ‘foster dad’ as an officer and said “she had seen him in uniform,” investigators explained.
Panter said his office conducted a swift and aggressive investigation upon learning of the allegations that led to Frisbie’s arrest on Sept 10.
“My office is committed to seeking justice without taking into consideration a perpetrator’s profession or social status,” Panter said, “We look forward to presenting the evidence in a court of law in an effort to ensure justice on behalf of the victims and for the State of Oklahoma.”
Criminal charges have not been filed. The Department of Human Services could not initially be reached for a comment, but later released the following statement:
Children’s safety and wellbeing are some of Oklahoma Human Services’ greatest priorities, particularly when children are placed in a foster home. These allegations go against the very tenets of foster care which are to provide a safe and nurturing temporary home for children.
While this is an ongoing investigation and state and federal confidentiality laws prevent us from discussing the specifics of this case, we must reassure the public that we are fully cooperating and jointly investigating with law enforcement to understand the facts of this case. Additionally, the children who were placed in this home have been removed and are receiving appropriate services to support them in this difficult time.
Panter has since released a statement:
"After a swift and aggressive investigation conducted by investigators with the District 23 District Attorney’s Office, the City of Prague Assistant Chief of Police, Jeff Frisbie and his Kim Frisbie were arrested for numerous counts of child sexual abuse and physical abuse. The fact that the arrested was a member of law enforcement, in a position of trust within the community, is both disappointing and appalling. Despite this, my office is committed to seeking justice without taking into consideration a perpetrator’s profession or social status. While I am unable to comment on the details of the investigation, I can say that we look forward to presenting the evidence in a court of law in an effort to ensure justice on behalf of the victims and for the State of Oklahoma."
Adam R. Panter
District Attorney
An official with Saint Francis Ministries shared this statement:
Good afternoon and thank you for your patience.
Saint Francis Ministries is aware of the allegations regarding a former Oklahoma foster family. The safety and well-being of children in our care is our top highest priority. While we are unable to comment on an ongoing investigation, we want to assure you that the foster parents in question have been removed from our network, and we are fully cooperating with the authorities. We are committed to transparency and take these allegations very seriously.
Best regards,
Denny Marlin
Executive Director of Marketing & Communications of Saint Francis Ministries
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