Nine arrests in child sexual exploitation case

CANADIAN COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) — Nine men are in jail after an undercover operation targeting individuals involved in child prostitution.

Five of the men attempted to pay for sex with someone they believed was a 16-year-old prostitute.

The undercover operation took place from August 29 to September 2. Multiple agencies worked together to place a decoy advertisement for underage prostitution on a website and then communicate with the suspects about when and where they could meet.

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“People who are preying on children who are in situations of human trafficking, cybercrime against children and people who are trying to buy children and where parents are selling their children,” said Major Adam Flowers of the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office.

A total of nine men were arrested, six for participating in child prostitution, one for possessing child pornography and two for soliciting sex with a minor.

“The first night during the conversation, the suspect who tried to buy the 11-year-old also admitted to putting his hands on an 8-year-old, and we are trying to locate that victim as well,” Major Flowers said.

The Canadian County Sheriffs Office partnered with Safe from Online Sex Abuse (SOSA) during this operation.

“We used a popular social media site that focuses on human trafficking,” Major Flowers said. “Right from the beginning, the first night of the operation, we arrested a suspect who was doing it.”

Five men attempted to pay for sex with what they believed to be a 16-year-old female prostitute. One attempted to buy sex from an 11-year-old.

They were undercover agents who communicated with the suspects via text messages.

“The very first night we had a predator show up and try to buy an hour of sex with an 11-year-old for $300, and we caught him,” Flowers said.

Eventually, everyone went out to meet an underage prostitute.

When they arrived there, they were met by the police, who arrested each individual.

“If you think your children are being exploited or abused online, please contact us,” Major Flowers said. “Contact your local law enforcement agency. You can contact the sheriff, OSBI, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Don’t think that you’re the only one doing this. So please, please, please. If you see something, say something.”

All nine men are currently being held in the Canadian County Jail on a maximum bail of $100,000.

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