Sapulpa Man Accused Of Raping Teen After Meeting On MySpace

By Lori Fullbright, The News On 6

SAPULPA, OK -- A Sapulpa man is in the Creek County jail accused of raping a teenage girl he met online. It's what parents worry about and what kids think will never happen to them.

A 15-year-old Creek County teen met the man on MySpace. Then they started talking on the phone and then agreed to meet in person. That's where sheriff's deputies say it went terribly wrong.

MySpace is a social networking site where people can talk, share pictures and generally keep in touch with their family and friends.

You can also talk to total strangers from around the globe or around the corner. Any police agency will tell you sexual predators use online sites like MySpace to find their prey.

Creek County deputies booked 19-year-old Clayton Sanders into jail for rape and lewd molestation. He's accused of meeting a 15-year-old girl online, then escalating to a face-to-face meeting.

The teen told deputies she was walking with a friend on Saturday afternoon when Sanders called her and they agreed to meet at a park. That's when she got into a vehicle with him and they went to an area south of Kellyville, where she was sexually assaulted, the girl told deputies.

"It has a devastating effect on victims," said Lt. John Davis, Creek County Sheriff's Department.

Records show Sanders was arrested in May for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, in July for public intoxication and again in September for burglary and public intoxication. He was also arrested earlier in October for larceny and stolen property. The felony cases are still pending.

Sheriff's deputies say this current case should be a wake-up call for parents and teenagers alike.

"My advice would be one, for parents to be involved and monitor what their child is doing on the internet and for young adults, pay attention to what you're doing, not knowing this people, basically strangers, not everybody has good intentions," said Lt. John Davis.

Sapulpa Police are also investigating a case where a man is accused of sexually assaulting an underage girl after they met on MySpace.

In that case, the girl's parents even took the computer out of the house in order to protect her, but she accessed the internet on a cell phone.

Safety Tips

• Internet Safety
• Finding True Love Safely
• Dating Safety

For more tips, visit Lori's Crime Survival Guide