Oklahoma minister sentenced to 57 months in federal for using a computer to view child pornography

TULSA, Okla. — A Tulsa minister was sentenced Monday to 57 months in federal for accessing with intent to view child pornography.

This sentence was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Loretta F. Radford, Northern District of Oklahoma.  Chief U.S. District Court Judge Gregory K. Frizzell also sentenced Ronald Eugene Robinson, 62, of Tulsa, to 10 years of supervised release following his release from prison. 

On Nov. 10, 2015, special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Phoenix, Arizona, conducted an undercover operation in an internet chatroom.  While in the chatroom, HSI special agents observed Robinson, a minister in Turley, Oklahoma, and other individuals watching child pornography that was being streamed.  Robinson used a computer to access the chatroom.  Some of the children in the videos were under 12 years old. 

HSI special agents observed Robinson making comments in the chatroom about raping a child and responding to a comment about killing a child after sexual abuse.  HSI special agents also went through Robinson’s chat logs and discovered that he had engaged in conversations with other individuals about raping, torturing and abusing children.

This case was investigated by HSI, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tulsa Police Department. 

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neal C. Hong, Northern District of Oklahoma.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 16,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2016, more than 2,600 child predators were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 800 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page. HSI is a founding member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.