Sand Springs Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

TULSA, Okla. – A man who believed he was communicating online with a 13-year-old girl but in reality was messaging law enforcement officers was sentenced today in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.

Chief U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell sentenced Thomas Kyle Williams, 40, of Sand Springs, to 120 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. Williams pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 2019.

From March 21, 2019, to June 10, 2019, Williams used his cell phone and two social media apps to attempt to coerce an individual he believed to be a minor into engaging in sex acts with him. In reality, Williams was speaking to a Tulsa Police Department Cyber Crimes Unit detective, and he was later arrested after he arranged to meet the “minor” on June 10, 2019.

“Child predators like Thomas Williams think the apparent anonymity of the Internet can hide their identity along with their perverse motives and deeds. But they are mistaken. The dedicated men and women of law enforcement are on the job and protecting our children,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “I commend Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Gallant, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for this child exploitation investigation and prosecution. Justice was served today.”

The Tulsa Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Gallant prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.  Internet safety education can be found on the tab labeled "resources” on the left column of the page.