By FOX23 News
WAGONER COUNTY, Okla. — As part of an operation by the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office and a nonprofit organization that works alongside law enforcement, two people were arrested and accused of having an explicit conversation with a 14-year-old decoy.
Wagoner County deputies conducted the operation on Oct. 18 in partnership with Safe from Online Sex Abuse (SOSA), a nonprofit that works to identify and investigate individuals suspected of online child sexual abuse and exploitation.
The suspects reached out to the decoy that was deployed by an undercover deputy. Once they made contact, the suspects had explicit conversations about sexual acts they were interested in. The decoy explained at the beginning of the conversation that they were 14-years-old and neither of the suspects expressed any issues with the age.
Due to the sexual conversation with a minor, a search warrant was requested and executed at a house near South 209th East Avenue and East 51st Street in Broken Arrow. Both suspects were taken into custody without incident.
Deputies recovered multiple electronic devices and other digital evidence for forensic examination.
The suspects were identified as Julie Arnold and Joseph Hunt. Both suspects were transported and booked into the Wagoner County Detention Center.
Arnold and Hunt were charged with lewd or indecent proposals or acts to a child and facilitating sexual conduct with a minor. Bonds for both suspects were set at $100,000.
“Protecting children is one of our most important responsibilities, and we take that responsibility seriously. When someone uses the internet to engage in sexually explicit conversations with someone they believe to be a child, we will investigate and pursue every available avenue to hold them accountable. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to identify those who seek to exploit children and help ensure Wagoner County remains a safe place for our families,” said Wagoner County Sheriff Chris Elliot.
The Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office said it remains committed to protecting children and investigating reports of online exploitation.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to speak with children about online safety and to report suspicious communications to law enforcement.
