11 Men Arrested In Pawnee County Child Sex Crime Sting

A child sex crime sting has led to multiple arrests in Pawnee County. Pawnee County deputies have made 11 child sex crime arrests in just over a month. Sheriff Mike Waters said the suspects were caught through an app called Grindr.

Tuesday, March 10th 2020, 8:38 am



A child sex crime sting has led to multiple arrests in Pawnee County.

The Pawnee County Sheriff told News On 6 the investigation started when a middle school student turned in an older classmate for making a lewd proposal. That case led investigators to a social media app and to 11 men, who the sheriff says were targeting underage boys for sex.

Pawnee County deputies have made 11 child sex crime arrests in just over a month. Sheriff Mike Waters said the suspects were caught through an app called Grindr.

“It's jaw dropping, it's unbelievable,” said Waters. “The public needs to know; the parents need to know how dangerous this is.”

Waters said three of the men live in Pawnee. The others are from Pawhuska, Ponca City, Stillwater, Ripley, Oilton, Glencoe and Vinita.               

The sheriff said all of the suspects knew, or believed, they were talking with underage boys.               

In some cases, court records show the men were actually messaging an undercover deputy.               

“It's scary to sit there and think somebody would drive from Vinita, Oklahoma to Pawnee for that purpose. It's serious,” said Waters.

Two of the men, 25-year-old Thomas Muench and 25-year-old Quinton Griesel, are charged with rape.

An affidavit shows Griesel had sex with a 16-year-old boy in a bathroom stall at Pawnee High School. The court document shows Griesel worked for a food service vendor at the time and served lunch at the school.               

Another affidavit said Muench had sex with a 15-year-old boy somewhere else. The sheriff says that crime did not happen on any school property.

Court records show both men met the teenagers on Grindr.

“I don't think kids understand how dangerous this is, and I can guarantee the parents don't,” said Pawnee and Osage County District Attorney, Mike Fisher.

Fisher said law enforcement and schools can only do so much to protect children. He said parents have to step up, block cell phone apps, know who their kids are talking with and know what they're doing.

“Old-fashioned parenting is the best way to do it and that's to stay in communication with your child, look at their phone. Don't be afraid to do that,” Fisher said.

The other men are facing charges ranging from lewd acts with a minor, to soliciting a minor for sex and child porn.              

The district attorney said someone caught with one image of child porn face up to 20 years in prison. He said someone with more than 100 child porn images can go to prison for life.

 

Oklahoma court records show the charges prosecutors have filed against the suspects in this investigation.  

-Cody Cramer, 34, is charged with forcible sodomy. 

-Charles Boggs, 55, is charged with soliciting sexual conduct with a minor through technology and showing obscene material to a minor.

-Gabriel Primeaux, 28, is charged with soliciting sexual conduct with a minor through technology, showing obscene material to a minor and soliciting a minor for indecent exposure or obscene material.

-Jacob Simmons, 20, is charged with soliciting sexual conduct with a minor through technology, showing obscene material to a minor and possession of child pornography.

-Johnathan Tackett, 33, is charged with soliciting sexual conduct with a minor through technology, showing obscene material to a minor and possession of child pornography.

-Michael Wilson, 45, is charged with soliciting sexual conduct with a minor through technology and showing obscene material to a minor.

-Quinton Griesel, 25, is charged with second degree rape, forcible sodomy and lewd or indecent acts with a child.

-Thomas Muench, 25, is charged with second degree rape, soliciting sexual conduct with a minor through technology and possession of child pornography.

-Marty McDougall-Casteel, 40, is booked into the Pawnee County jail and facing charges of soliciting sexual conduct with a minor through technology, soliciting a minor for indecent exposure or obscene material and showing obscene material to a minor.

 

UPDATE: Charges against two of the people on this list have been dismissed. They are no longer named in this story.

logo

Get The Daily Update!

Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox!

More Like This

March 10th, 2020

March 29th, 2024

March 29th, 2024

March 29th, 2024

Top Headlines

March 29th, 2024

March 29th, 2024

March 29th, 2024

March 29th, 2024