The Canadian County Sheriff’s Office along with nonprofit organization SOSA (Safe from Online Sex Abuse) recently conducted a four-day operation to catch predators seeking children in Canadian County. The operation resulted in the arrest of five predators that traveled from as far away as Texas.  The operation included the use of a decoy house in Canadian County where predators believed fourteen and fifteen-year-old female children resided. Those arrested include: Trace Turkelson, 22, of Elgin, OK; William Copeland IV, 29, of Calhan, CO; Cody Ewing, 27, of Yukon, OK;  Tracy Fisher, 41, of Tulsa, OK; and Otha Smith III, 37, who drove five hours from Linden, Texas.

During the operation, SOSA supplied two real-life females who acted as decoys and communicated with the predators. These communications included video chats, text messages, phone calls, and social media communications. The conversations with the predators escalated to sexually graphic conversations very quickly, including sending nude photos to the decoys and describing sex acts the arrestees desired to perform with the underaged decoy/s. Most of the predators also sent videos of themselves masturbating while talking to the decoys they believed to be underage females. The conversations with the predators were extremely disturbing including fetish demands, using names such as Daddy, graphic sexual acts they planned on doing to the children, and one predator talking about breeding with the female child.  All suspects were also worried about being caught by law enforcement, and some asked the decoys to do live chats to ensure they were real people. 

The stings occurred at a decoy house, hotels, and restaurants. These locations were chosen by the predators and some even wanted the decoys to use rideshare companies to travel to them. Smith traveled five hours from Linden, Texas to meet an underage female child at a hotel in Mustang. These stings were organized by the Canadian County Sheriff’s investigators and the arrest of the predators had no complications or incidents. Those arrested also cooperated with investigators and admitted to what their intentions were when they met these decoys. 

“This wasn’t the first time my office has worked with SOSA to apprehend child predators, and I hope they’ll continue be available to assist with our child predator program in the future,”   said Chris West, Canadian County Sheriff. 

SOSA (sosatogether.org) provided all the evidence to investigators during this operation. SOSA was able to provide resources and real-time communication with the predators that provided valuable evidence of the crimes committed by the suspects. SOSA and Canadian County Sheriff’s Office continue to partner to take internet predators off the streets.

The suspects above were arrested and taken to the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office Detention Facility and booked into jail.  The predators were arrested for Facilitating Sexual communication with a Minor, Lewd Acts with a Child Under 16, Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance to a Minor, and Violations of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act. Canadian County Sheriff’s Office is also part of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation’s ICAC Task Force.

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PHOTOS: attached

 

AUTHORITY:

Chris West, Sheriff

Canadian County, OK