Oklahoma Senator Pleads Guilty To Child Sex Trafficking

Monday, November 20, 2017
By Paul Martin

Sean Adl-Tabatabai
YourNewsWire.com
November 19, 2017

Former state Senator Ralph Shortey has pleaded guilty to operating a child sex trafficking ring and is expected to be given a 10-year prison sentence next week.

Shortey agreed to plead guilty to the child sex trafficking offences in exchange for U.S. prosecutors dropping three additional child pornography counts against him.

Newsok.com reports: His jury trial had been set to begin Dec. 5 in Oklahoma City federal court. He is now scheduled to plead guilty Nov. 30 instead.

By making a deal, Shortey, 35, hopes to avoid being locked up for most of the rest of his life. Still, he will be required to serve at least a 10-year prison term, the mandatory minimum time for child sex trafficking.

The maximum time for the offense is life in prison. U.S. District Judge Timothy DeGiusti will decide the punishment at a sentencing next year.

“It is in my best interest and in the best interest of my family,” Shortey wrote on plea paperwork signed Monday. He remains married to his high school sweetheart, his defense attorney said. They have four daughters.

The defense attorney, Ed Blau, negotiated the plea agreement for Shortey after reviewing the evidence and applicable case law.

“Mr. Shortey feels this is a necessary step in putting this painful and humiliating ordeal behind him, for both himself, his family and for the state of Oklahoma,” the attorney said Friday.

Shortey, R-Oklahoma City, was first elected in 2010 and was known for his offbeat legislative proposals that at times attracted national attention. He resigned March 22.

Shortey — who once planned to be a missionary — was investigated first by Moore police and then the FBI after being found with the teenager at the Super 8 in Moore about 1 a.m. March 9.

The teenager’s girlfriend had followed them to the hotel after seeing Shortey pick him up. She then alerted the teenager’s father who called police.

Police reported Shortey and the victim had carried on a conversation about sex using the messaging app Kik before going to the hotel. Their conversation had turned graphic when the teenager wrote, “I need money for spring break,” according to police.

Shortey had replied, “I don’t really have any legitimate things I need help with right now. Would you be interested in ‘sexual’ stuff?” The teenager then wrote, “Yes,” according to police.

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