Child molester was released from prison early. At age 82, he groped a sex shop worker, police say

Bobby Otto Powers, then 75, was ill and dying in prison in 2010, the sixth year of a 60-year sentence he received for child molestation in Oklahoma.

In 2003, a 9-year-old victim revealed he had abused her for years in his capacity as a schoolteacher, according to the Oklahoman.

The newspaper reported that the victim thought Powers had died in prison.

But Powers, who was at the time given six months to a year to live, was granted a medical commutation and was released in May 2010, according to his Oklahoma sex offender registry.

Apparently, though, he has been well enough to frequent an Oklahoma City sex shop called Hustler Hollywood, where police say he groped an employee in November 2017.

He was arrested early in the morning of Dec. 18 on suspicion of four felony counts of sexual battery, according to Oklahoma City jail records.

KOKH reported that he approached a woman while she swept the floor of the establishment and handed her $10. When she told him that employees were not allowed to take tips, he grabbed her crotch and her backside before telling her he’d like to see her in some red lingerie that was hanging from a stand in the store.

He was 82 at the time of the alleged offenses and turned 83 in February, when charges were filed against him in connection with the incident.

The Hustler Hollywood employee told police that Powers learned her work schedule and visited the store repeatedly when she worked, on nights and weekends, and licked her hand on another occasion, according to KOKH.

A preliminary hearing in Powers’ latest case was held Thursday, according to court records. His next hearing is June 12.

Meanwhile, he remains free on bail.

This story was originally published April 7, 2018 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Child molester was released from prison early. At age 82, he groped a sex shop worker, police say."