Oklahoma teacher pleads guilty to receiving child pornography

TULSA, Okla. — A Tulsa teacher pleaded guilty Tuesday to receiving child pornography.

This guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Danny C. Williams Sr., Northern District of Oklahoma. U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating this case.

At the change-of-plea hearing, James Russell Wilson, 32, of Tulsa, admitted that, from October 2014 to December 2014, he knowingly received, and attempted to receive, visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Wilson was a teacher with Union Public Schools in Tulsa.

At the time of sentencing, if the court accepts the plea agreement, Wilson will be sentenced to 13 years in prison and a term of 20 years of supervised release following his imprisonment.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew J. Hofland and Allen J. Litchfield, Northern District of Oklahoma, are prosecuting this case.

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 14,000 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 2015, nearly 2,400 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 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.