NAACP Wants Independent Investigation Into Rec Center Worker's Arrest
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GRAND PRAIRIE (CBSDFW.COM) - The NAACP is coming to the defense of a recreational worker in Grand Prairie who was arrested for allegedly showing two teens a sexually explicit video.
The incident stems from surveillance footage from May that police said captured two 12-year-old boys engaging in a sex act.
Demoyas Baker, 27, is now facing a charge of displaying harmful material to a minor after investigators said he showed the footage to a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old.
"He is still maintaining his innocence. That what he's been accused of, he still maintains he did not do it," said Angela Luckey, with Grand Prairie NAACP.
Luckey organized a gathering outside the Dalworth Recreational Center on Thursday in support of Baker, claiming police are not being fair.
"When you take a look at the arrests, there was a black male that was arrested. The center supervisor, he is a white male that has not been held accountable for this situation," said Luckey.
Luckey and other community members said Baker did not have proper training on how to handle such a video and it should have been removed from the center in the first place.
"The actuality of it is, the area is unsecured. Anybody could go look at it," said Arthur Flemming, a member of Grand Prairie NAACP.
Police would not comment stating it was an ongoing investigation. But police did release a short statement claiming the allegations "are not accurate."
An arrest warrant revealed another rec center employee had walked in on Baker showing the video to the teens. Police then interviewed one of the teens who confirmed the event.
Grand Prairie NAACP said it now wants an independent investigation since Baker is a city employee.
"There had been an arrest made we just feel that it was made prematurely. That the arrest should not have been made," said Luckey.
Grand Prairie NAACP said it has scheduled a meeting with city leaders on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the situation.
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