Former fairgrounds executive director accused of lewd acts with girl in Moore

MOORE — A former executive director for the Comanche County Fairgrounds is free on $25,000 bond after he was accused of lewd acts with a young girl.

A felony arrest warrant was issued Feb. 15 in Cleveland County District Court for Walter L. “Buddy” Friesner Jr., 69, of Moore, for four felony charges of lewd or indecent acts to a child under 16 and indecent exposure, records indicate.

Friesner was arrested Tuesday while working as kitchen manager at Moore First United Methodist Church.

In July 2022, a 12-year-old girl and her mother told police Friesner had forced the child to conduct multiple lewd and indecent acts while working at the church, according to the probable cause affidavit. He’s also accused of forcing the girl to touch him inappropriately while he drove her home and also to expose different parts of her body to him multiple times. The allegations stem from July 2021 to July 2022.

The indecent exposure charge stems from Friesner’s time working as a substitute teacher at Moore Norman Technology Center in 2020. He’s accused of taking an inappropriate photo of himself while sitting behind a desk while students were in the classroom, the affidavit states. He has since been terminated.

Friesner had served as a long-time executive director for the Comanche County Fairgrounds in the 1990s before being fired by its trust authority in a 7-2 vote in January 1999, according to Constitution records.

Free after posting $25,000 bond, Friesner returns to court at 9 a.m. March 19 for his preliminary hearing conference, records indicate. He is to have no contact with any witnesses, or minors through coaching and teaching.