ALSO SHOWS US THE TAKEDOWN. PREDATOR PREVENTION SAYS THEY CAME HERE TO EARLSBORO TWICE TO CONFRONT THE SUSPECT. POLICE TELL US A CELL PHONE AND A CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT HELPED WITH THE ARREST. WE JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE ALLEGATIONS. YOU HAVE TALKING TO UNDERAGE KIDS. HE KNEW WHO I WAS BECAUSE WE HAD AN INTERVIEW LAST YEAR, AND HE JUST SLAMMED THE DOOR IN MY FACE. DIDN’T WANT TO TALK BEHIND YOUR BACK, CROSS YOUR LEGS. LOOK TO YOUR LEFT. LEFT. IT’S NOT THE FIRST TIME OKLAHOMA PREDATOR PREVENTION HAS MADE CONTACT WITH THE 60 YEAR OLD SUSPECT. THE FIRST TIME WAS BACK IN 2024. HE MESSED UP, MADE A MISTAKE, YOU KNOW, IS WHAT HE SAID THE FIRST TIME. BUT THIS TIME HE DIDN’T WANT TO HAVE A CHAT. BUT HE, IN MY OPINION, HE’S INTERESTED IN CHILDREN. I’M NOT TALKING TO YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL, STOP TALKING TO KIDS, ALL RIGHT? RUSSELL’S GROUP USES TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS TO TALK TO PREDATORS WITH DECOYS. AND THEN THEY TURN THEM OVER TO POLICE. IN THIS CASE, THE DECOY WAS ACTING AS A TEENAGER ONLINE. WHO DID HE THINK HE WAS CONTACTING? 13 YEAR OLD GIRL. HE REVIEWED THE PREVIOUS CASE BECAUSE HE HAD ADMITTED THAT HE HAD COMMUNICATIONS IN THE PAST, BEFORE, AND OP HAD RAN THAT ON THEIR WEBSITE, EARLSBORO. POLICE CONFIRMED THE ARREST AND ALSO TOLD US HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO TRACK HIM DOWN AFTER THEY SAY HE DROVE TO MISSOURI EARLIER IN THE WEEK. WE USED A CI UNDERCOVER TO BORROW THE CELL PHONE OF HIS BUSINESS PARTNER. WITH HER HELP, HE BELIEVED HE WAS TEXTING HER AS HE WAS RETURNING FROM MISSOURI. BUT NOW, WITH EVIDENCE PROVIDED BY PREDATOR PREVENTION, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY DECIDED TO CHARGE HIM WITH NOT ONLY THIS INCIDENT, BUT WITH LAST YEAR’S INCIDENT, BECAUSE THEY’RE STILL WITHIN THEIR STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS UNDER THREE YEARS. ASSISTANT CHIEF CHENEY SAID THIS IS SIGNIFICANT FOR EARLSBORO. HE’S TRYING TO BOOST POLICE DEPARTMENT EFFORTS ACROSS THE BOARD, AND PREDATOR PREVENTION IS EVIDENCE PLAYED A ROLE IN A FIRST OF ITS KIND CASE FOR THE SMALL TOWN. THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION HAD FAILED THE TOWN TREMENDOUSLY. MY JOB WAS TO COME IN AND REVAMP THE DEPARTMENT. THIS IS THE FIRST SPECIAL VICTIMS INVESTIGATION OF THE TOWN OF EARLS
Alleged child predator arrested in Earlsboro with help from local group
A sting operation in Earlsboro led to the arrest of a 60-year-old man accused of communicating with minors, aided by Oklahoma Predator Prevention and local police.
A sting operation in Earlsboro led to the arrest of a 60-year-old man accused of being a child predator, with assistance from Oklahoma Predator Prevention and local law enforcement.>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel”We just want to talk about the allegations you have, talking to underage kids,” said Russell Godwin, with the Oklahoma Predator Prevention group. “He knew who I was because we had an interview last year, and he just slammed the door in my face, didn’t want to talk.”The suspect was previously contacted by Oklahoma Predator Prevention in 2024.”He messed up and made a mistake, is what he said the first time. But this time, he didn’t want to chat. But in my opinion, he’s interested in children,” Godwin said.The group uses technology and digital communication platforms to engage with predators using decoys and then turns them over to police. In this case, the decoy posed as a teenager online. “A 13-year-old girl,” Godwin said.”We reviewed the previous case, because he had admitted that he had communications in the past before, and OPP ran that on their website,” said Assistant Chief Jeremiah Chaney with the Earlsboro Police Department.Earlsboro police confirmed the arrest and detailed how they tracked the suspect after he drove to Missouri earlier in the week. “We used a CI — an undercover — to borrow the cellphone of his business partner, with her help. He believed he was texting her as he was returning from Missouri,” Chaney said.With evidence provided by Predator Prevention, the district attorney decided to charge the suspect with both the current incident and last year’s incident, as they are still within the statute of limitations under three years.Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.Chaney emphasized the significance of this case for Earlsboro, noting efforts to revamp the police department.”The previous administration had failed the town tremendously. My job was to come in and revamp the department. This is the first special victims investigation in the town of Earlsboro,” he said.Top HeadlinesTIMELINE: Severe storms bring risk of tornadoes, big hail and strong winds this weekendWATCH: Border Patrol K-9 airlifted to emergency vet after rattlesnakePedestrian dies after being hit by train in EdmondPolice: Mom bought ammo, tactical gear for son, who was planning ‘mass targeted violence’ at Texas schoolPolice release identity of 36-year-old man hit, killed by vehicle after dispute in El Reno
A sting operation in Earlsboro led to the arrest of a 60-year-old man accused of being a child predator, with assistance from Oklahoma Predator Prevention and local law enforcement.
>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel
“We just want to talk about the allegations you have, talking to underage kids,” said Russell Godwin, with the Oklahoma Predator Prevention group. “He knew who I was because we had an interview last year, and he just slammed the door in my face, didn’t want to talk.”
The suspect was previously contacted by Oklahoma Predator Prevention in 2024.
“He messed up and made a mistake, is what he said the first time. But this time, he didn’t want to chat. But in my opinion, he’s interested in children,” Godwin said.
The group uses technology and digital communication platforms to engage with predators using decoys and then turns them over to police. In this case, the decoy posed as a teenager online.
“A 13-year-old girl,” Godwin said.
“We reviewed the previous case, because he had admitted that he had communications in the past before, and OPP ran that on their website,” said Assistant Chief Jeremiah Chaney with the Earlsboro Police Department.
Earlsboro police confirmed the arrest and detailed how they tracked the suspect after he drove to Missouri earlier in the week.
“We used a CI — an undercover — to borrow the cellphone of his business partner, with her help. He believed he was texting her as he was returning from Missouri,” Chaney said.
With evidence provided by Predator Prevention, the district attorney decided to charge the suspect with both the current incident and last year’s incident, as they are still within the statute of limitations under three years.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
Chaney emphasized the significance of this case for Earlsboro, noting efforts to revamp the police department.
“The previous administration had failed the town tremendously. My job was to come in and revamp the department. This is the first special victims investigation in the town of Earlsboro,” he said.
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