A Guthrie man is facing three felony charges, including first-degree rape of a child under 14, following a lengthy Guthrie Police Department investigation that authorities say uncovered hundreds of files containing child sexual abuse material and evidence of the sexual assault of a young family member.
Erin Devante Taylor-Powell has been charged with first-degree rape of a victim under age 14 and two counts of procuring, producing, distributing or possessing juvenile pornography.
Taylor-Powell was initially given a $500,000 bond following his arrest in May. As additional information emerged in the investigation, his bond was increased to $5 million on Aug. 25. Taylor-Powell pleaded not guilty to the charges that same day.
His mother, Daisy Powell, has also been charged in connection with the investigation. She faces one felony count of enabling child sexual exploitation. Powell was arraigned Aug. 26, with her bond set at $2 million.
According to probable cause affidavits filed by the Guthrie Police Department, the investigation began Aug. 19, 2024, after a Guthrie Police detective was assigned a case involving a report that Taylor-Powell had sent an inappropriate voice message to a juvenile.
As investigators examined an Apple account they said belonged to Taylor-Powell, they discovered what they allege was a screen recording involving the attempted purchase of child sexual abuse material. The recording also allegedly contained a video depicting the sexual assault of a young child.
Taylor-Powell was arrested in Guthrie in May 2026. Police obtained search warrants for his vehicles and residence and seized an iPhone 15 Pro Max that was submitted to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation for forensic examination.
According to the affidavit, investigators found 252 files containing child sexual abuse material and six files depicting bestiality.
Among the evidence was a 48-second video investigators say was created on July 1, 2015. Police allege the video showed an adult male sexually assaulting a young girl.
Investigators reported finding other images and videos of Taylor-Powell on the phone and allege physical similarities led them to believe Taylor-Powell was the adult depicted in the 2015 video.
An adult family member was shown a still image from the video that did not show nudity or sexual activity. According to police, the family member immediately identified the child and recognized the room as being inside the family’s Guthrie residence.
Investigators subsequently determined the girl would have been 5 years old when the video was created.
The alleged 2015 assault is the basis for Taylor-Powell’s first-degree rape charge. He also faces a juvenile pornography charge with the same July 1, 2015 offense date. His other juvenile pornography charge lists an offense date of May 1, 2026.
A second probable cause affidavit details the investigation involving Powell and allegations that family members repeatedly informed her of sexual abuse involving Taylor-Powell over a period of years.
One woman told investigators that in 2018, when she was approximately 13 years old, she awoke while staying at the family’s Guthrie residence and allegedly found Taylor-Powell touching her inside her underwear and using a cellphone to photograph her.
According to the affidavit, she reported the incident to Powell, but Powell allegedly dismissed the accusation and suggested the girl had dreamed or imagined what happened.
Two other people who were at the residence told investigators they remembered the girl being distraught and reporting the alleged assault.
Police later obtained screenshots of text messages allegedly exchanged between Powell and the girl’s mother following the incident. Investigators say those messages indicated Powell knew something had occurred and discussed Taylor-Powell wanting to apologize.
The affidavit contains allegations from those who told investigators they had reported sexual abuse involving Taylor-Powell to Powell over the years. Police allege those reports were dismissed or not acted upon.
Investigators also reviewed recorded jail calls between Taylor-Powell and Powell following his arrest.
Because portions of one conversation were conducted in a language other than English, an Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics linguist was asked to review the recording. According to the affidavit, investigators allege Taylor-Powell told Powell to contact his cellular provider and report his phone stolen in an attempt to have the phone’s contents erased.
Police had already seized the phone pursuant to a search warrant.
The second affidavit also alleges Powell threatened the juvenile identified by investigators as the child in the 2015 video following Taylor-Powell’s arrest, warning her against disclosing what had happened.
Powell’s charge of enabling child sexual exploitation lists an offense date of Jan. 1, 2008.
The investigation has involved the Guthrie Police Department, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and other law enforcement resources.
Taylor-Powell has pleaded not guilty. The allegations contained in the probable cause affidavits are accusations and have not been proven in court. Taylor-Powell and Powell are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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