Metro Father With Child In Car Arrested During Undercover Prostitution Sting

Oklahoma City Police and the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office put dozens of men in jail this week accused of soliciting prostitution.

Police said one of the suspects admitted to having his three-year-old daughter in the backseat of his car. The father was booked into jail for soliciting prostitution and child neglect, both felony charges. He was one of 41 suspects arrested over the two-day undercover operation.

Undercover vice officers were sent to the area of Southwest 44th Street and Robinson Avenue this week. Police said the area has been known for sex trafficking and other illegal activities.

Police said of the dozens of men arrested for soliciting prostitution, seven suspects had additional charges for drug possession, firearms, stolen property, and child neglect.

“It’s important to note during the course of these arrests there was one person that had a very young child with them,” said Sgt. Dillon Quirk, Oklahoma City Police Department.

According to an arrest affidavit, Jose Escobar, 27, offered an undercover officer money in exchange for sex while his three-year-old child sat in the backseat of the car. Police said Escobar tried to get the undercover officer to get in his car. During the arrest, Escobar told police his wife was at work.

Now that soliciting and paying for sex acts is a felony, police believe arrests will protect communities from human trafficking. “They also can seize the car of the person, and I’ve had two or three clients in the last six to eight months their cars have been seized at the time of arrest,” said Irven Box, defense attorney. “That’s probably more than the penalty being a felony.”

Attorney Irven Box was not sure if the felony punishment is making a difference. He said none of the accused Johns he represented have been sentenced to prison. “I suspect if we have some repeaters that got caught again and again the state may be apt to add penitentiary time,” said Box.

The punishment for felony soliciting if someone is convicted is up to five years in prison. The law is changing in November and amends the maximum sentence to three years. 

Police said of the four firearms seized during the operation, one of the guns was reported stolen out of Newcastle. Police also recovered methamphetamines and marijuana.