JERRY FINK
MANAGING EDITOR
Eufaula police investigating possible sex crimes involving children have arrested two people, a woman from Tulsa and a man from Russellville, Ark.
“There could be more arrests,” Police Chief David Bryning said last week.
The investigation is continuing.
The two suspects who were arrested were Kaylee Renee Hartline, 25, and Jackson Thurman Whitt, 27.
Whitt was arrested on Jan. 24. He is charged with procuring obscene material; soliciting a minor for indecent exposure/ obscene material; lewd or indecent proposals or acts to a child under 16 and showing obscene material to a minor.
He appeared before Associate District Judge Brendon Bridges by way of video on Jan. 26. Bridges entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Whitt and set bond at $1 million. He was ordered back to court for a prepreliminary conference at 9 a.m. on Feb. 7.
Hartline, who lives with caregivers in Tulsa according to a probable cause affidavit, has been charged with procuring/ producing/distributing/ possession of juvenile pornography; soliciting sexual conduct or communication with a minor by use of technology; lewd molestation or indecent acts to a minor; showing obscene material to a minor.
A competency hearing for Hartline has been set for 9 a.m., Feb. 7 and a pre-preliminary hearing for 9 a.m., March 6.
She was released under a $10,000 bond with the conditions of house arrest with caregivers Catherine Pearsall, Robin Robert and Joseph Thornton.
The McIntosh County District Attorney’s office will monitor the defendant.
The investigation began on Jan. 18, at about 7:30 a.m. when Eufaula Police investigator Mike Harris was notified that the mother of a Eufaula High School student learned that her daughter had allowed a friend to borrow her cell phone.
When the daughter received the phone back, she discovered her friend had received Instagram messages obscene in nature.
Harris is an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigator.
On Jan. 18 at approximately 7:30 a.m. Harris said he learned that Jackson Whitt had placed inappropriate pictures, videos and messages on the Instagram account. He noted that the young girl who had borrowed her friend’s phone had interacted with several accounts of older male individuals ranging from early 20s to middle 50s.
