Gehman burglary trial scheduled to begin today

By Tom Blakey

Transcript Staff Writer

As his jury trial was about to begin Wednesday morning, a U.S. Air Force staff sergeant pleaded guilty to molesting an 8-year-old Norman girl last March, and was ordered to serve eight years in prison, followed by a 12-year suspended sentence.

Steven Jay Beacham, 33, Midwest City, pleaded guilty to one count of lewd molestation, and another count was dismissed as part of the plea negotiations.

Beacham will have to serve 85 percent of the eight-year sentence, or 6.8 years, before he is eligible for parole consideration.

District Judge Tom Lucas also ordered Beacham to register as a sex offender and abide by the special rules and conditions of sex offenders while on the 12-year suspended term.

According to court documents, the girl's mother contacted police, and said her daughter had told her about being sexually abused by Beacham on two occasions; once after being picked up from school and another time at home while doing school work. The girl testified in closed court at Beacham's preliminary hearing.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Susan Caswell and Jennifer Austin.

Lucas allowed defense attorney William Campbell to withdraw from the case and Samuel J. Long, a California attorney, to represent Beacham, assisted by Norman defense attorney Tracy Schumacher.

Schumacher filed a motion for Long to appear pro hac vice, or for Beacham's case only, and Lucas granted the motion when informed Beacham had agreed to plead guilty.

In a separate case, a jury trial for Donald Richard Gehman, 52, Moore, is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. today in the courtroom of District Judge Lori Walkley.

Gehman is charged with second-degree burglary in the Oct. 22, 2006, break-in of a home in the 1900 block of Indian Hills Road in Moore.

In September 2005, Gehman pleaded guilty in Oklahoma County to two counts of indecent or lewd acts with a child under 16 and was ordered to serve one year in prison, followed by a nine-year suspended sentence. He also was required to register as a sex offender and abide by special rules and conditions of sex offenders while on the suspended term.

A motion to revoke the suspended sentence was filed Nov. 28, 2006, and a bench warrant issued for Gehman's arrest.