Dalton Errigo, 26, was charged with two counts of second-degree rape and four counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child under 16, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Logan County. The charges were announced Friday.

The investigation began when the victim and her father went to the Logan County Sheriff's Office to report a series of incidents involving Errigo, the affidavit states. The victim told investigators she had started therapy and felt ready to disclose the abuse she said occurred when she was a young child.

According to the affidavit, the incidents started with kissing and escalated to Errigo pulling down the victim's pants and touching her genitals when she was 6 years old. The abuse progressed to sexual assault by the time she was 7, the victim told deputies.

The victim said she never spoke about the abuse because Errigo told her it was a secret and convinced her it was something everyone did, according to the affidavit.

"She said she trusted him, and thought this was normal, but as she got older, she realized how wrong it was and she struggled to keep it from her parents," the affidavit states.

Officials said the crimes occurred when Errigo was a teenager. He later became a deputy with the Logan County Sheriff's Office. His current employment status with the agency was not immediately clear.

The case highlights the difficult path many survivors face in reporting childhood sexual abuse, particularly when the abuser is someone they know and trust. Advocates say it often takes years — sometimes until a survivor enters therapy or reaches adulthood — before they feel safe enough to come forward.

Errigo's charges are the latest in a string of cases involving Oklahoma law enforcement personnel accused of misconduct. The Logan County Sheriff's Office has not publicly commented on the charges.

Court records do not yet list an attorney for Errigo. A preliminary hearing date has not been scheduled.