Sapulpa Man Wrongly Jailed Files Civil Lawsuit

SAPULPA, Okla. (AP) – A Sapulpa man has filed a civil lawsuit against the Creek County sheriff, alleging that he was wrongly jailed for 12 weeks on a child rape charge.

Tommy Braden filed the federal lawsuit this week against Creek County Sheriff John Davis. Braden was charged in 2012 with sexual abuse of a minor, but the charges were dropped after DNA evidence cleared him in the crime.

The lawsuit says DNA evidence matched another man who’s since been charged with rape, lewd molestation and burglary.

Braden’s lawsuit says the experience left his life in "utter ruin." He is seeking more than $150,000 in actual and punitive damages.

The sheriff couldn’t be reached for comment, but Creek County Sgt. Les Vaughan declined to comment to the Tulsa World on the lawsuit.