A Tulsa man was arrested in Pryor Creek on Saturday after attempting to meet with who he believed to be an underage girl.
Around 6:16 p.m. on Saturday, Pryor Creek Police arrested Willie Porter at Bobby Buck Park.
FOX23 spoke with Pryor Creek Police Chief Jeremy Cantrell about the case and learned how they used a drone to help with the arrest.
He said this is not the only arrest made in Mayes County this week for similar charges.
Cantrell told FOX23 that Porter thought he was meeting a 14-year-old girl who he met on social media.
However, it was an officer using a fake profile.
“When the officer did confirm the subject was on his way, he got with the Mayes County deputy who has a drone,” he said.
That drone confirmed Porter was indeed there and matched their description.
The Mayes County Sheriff’s Office shared drone images of the arrest.
Porter faces charges of violation of the Oklahoma Computer Crime Act, lewd or indecent proposals to a child, and child sexual exploitation.
“Unfortunately it happens more than we would like to say, but this is the second one in two days,” Chief Cantrell said.
He said the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office assisted in this arrest and initiated another one this week as they also have deputies dedicated to child exploitation cases.
After becoming police chief last year, Cantrell said the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force has been a major priority.
“We have taken on more of these cases and are taking them seriously,” he said. “We have been very successful at these cases and you know getting these people off of the streets and making a difference.”
Chief Cantrell said it’s the teamwork of many agencies in the county that help to get the job done.
FOX23 spoke with Chief Cantrell about the team of officers they have implemented to keep children in the community safe.
He said the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is focused on getting predators off of the streets and they do so in a variety of ways.
Chief Cantrell said a few things happen when the department gets notified of a case.
“The detective will work that and the other officer will use a fake profile where he, you know, communicates with these predators and acting like he is a 14-year-old girl,” he said.
Chief Cantrell said in addition to monitoring social media accounts, he feels it’s important to have conversations with your children about how these kinds of people are out there.
“Just because you are thinking you are talking to someone on social media does not mean that is who you are talking to, so having that hard conversation with the kids,” he said.
Chief Cantrell said the department also offers training courses for parents.
“The same officer that does undercover on these cases, he also teaches a class and our detective does as well over what parents can look for,” he said. “So, if any parent has a question they can call us and we can put them in contact with those officers that are very familiar.”
He said the platforms for communication and social media are constantly changing, so he wants to help parents and kids to be as aware as possible.
Chief Cantrell said he is proud to have officers who are so passionate about keeping the children in the community safe.
Porter was booked into the Mayes County Jail for violation of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act, lewd or indecent proposals to a child, and child sexual exploration charges.
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