Video, teen’s claims lead to sexual battery arrest for 76-year-old man

A teenage girl’s accounts of sexual abuse at the hands of a 76-year-old man has resulted in an arrest warrant.

On Thursday, the Comanche County District Court issued a felony arrest warrant for Vic Cortez, of Lawton, for a count of sexual battery, records indicate. Cortez made his initial appearance Friday. 

The girl’s mother contacted Lawton police on May 3 after her 16-year-old daughter told her Cortez had been sexually assaulting her, both, at her home and his.

Lawton Police Detective Joshua Gardner interviewed the mother who told him her daughter had incriminating videos on her phone involving Cortez, the warrant affidavit states. The detective saw video of the man putting his hand under a blanket and touching the girl’s thigh as she was telling him no, Gardner stated.

Detective Sedonna Warren spoke with the girl. She said beginning in February 2021, Cortez began talking to her when she was 13-years-old about him being a sexual education teacher while in the Philippines, the affidavit states. The girl said over the next few months the discussions turned to uncomfortable touching by him and him forcing her to touch him as well as sexual comments, Gardner stated.

The girl said the last time Cortez assaulted her was on Feb. 14 when she was delivering flowers to his wife, according to the affidavit. Following the incident, the girl said she went to the car and broke down crying to her friend, Gardner stated. She told the detective that when she’d told Cortez no, he threatened to sexually assault her sister.

Cortez is free on $50,000 bond with the conditions he have no contact with the girl or her sister, that he turn over any firearms and that he not leave the country. He returns to court at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 26 for his preliminary hearing, records indicate.