Ronald Dale Sanders, Child Exploitation, Oklahoma 2024

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Child Predator Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison

A former coach and middle school teacher has been sentenced to 360 months in prison for six counts related to child exploitation and sexual abuse of a minor child.

Ronald Dale Sanders, 57, of Belton, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill for Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct, Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country, Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country, Tampering with Evidence by Corrupt Persuasion, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, and Production of Child Pornography.

Sanders was accused of driving from Missouri to Oklahoma to engage in sexual acts with a 14-year-old on several occasions between August 2023 and October 2023. He began messaging the minor child through social media, which quickly turned into inappropriate sexual conversations. Sanders coerced the minor child to send him sexually explicit photos and manipulated them into believing they were in a relationship.

Court records show that Sanders used his background as a teacher and coach to insert himself into the minor child’s life. He claimed to be a tutor and befriended the child’s family, attending school football games and visiting the minor child during school. In October, one of the minor child’s parents caught Sanders outside their house late at night. When the parent attempted to confront Sanders, he hit their vehicle and sped off.

The investigation revealed that Sanders was blatant in his pursuit of the minor child and had thousands of messages with them that contained sexually explicit material. He was found with alcohol and sex toys in his vehicle when he was pulled over by the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

Sanders will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI, the Miami Police Department, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case, with Miami Public Schools playing a significant role in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Hockenbury and Valeria Luster prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.