A 55-year-old man from Langely was charged for allegedly soliciting a woman with the intention of molesting her 11-year-old child in lieu of providing financial and living assistance. The announcement was made by US Attorney Trent Shores.
The man identified as Thomas James Heiner, who is also a marijuana distributor in Oklahoma, has been charged Criminal Complaint with the sex trafficking of a child. The accused had repeatedly solicited the mother to facilitate a sexual liaison between them and her underage child.
Calling his actions "reprehensible", Shores stated that Heiner's detention will be sought during the trial in order to keep other minors out of harm's way. "We will argue for his detention while he awaits trial because we believe he poses a significant threat to children in our community and others," said Shores in a statement.
An 'Indecent Proposal'
The whole ordeal came to light on 16 May 2020, during a regular traffic stop. A woman reported to the officer that a man is known as "Sasquatch", propositioned her on several occasions. He offered assistance such as cash payments, car payments, and accommodation in exchange for one thing—permission to molest her daughter as the two adults engaged in sexual activity.
After being informed by the woman that the man resided in Langley, Oklahoma, and Utah before that, the law enforcement authorities identified the man as Thomas Heiner. The accused allegedly communicated with the woman again on May 17 and invited her and her daughter to meet him at a hotel room in Tulsa to carry out sexual acts.
Trapping The 'Sasquatch'
Heiner had told the woman that he had previously participated in similar activities with a former girlfriend and her daughter. With directions from the FBI, on 19 May, the woman had several telephonic conversations with Heiner, which was recorded by the Tulsa Police Department and FBI personnel.
The court documents state that Heiner, graphically described how the two adults instruct the minor and force her to engage in sexual acts with them. It is also alleged that he explicitly described having molested a seven-year-old child previously at least on two occasions.
"The alleged actions of Mr. Heiner are not only a violation of the law, but can cause irreparable harm to the mental and physical well-being of young victims. This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated," said Melissa Godbold, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Oklahoma City Division.
