Page 5 - ARUBA TODAY

A5
U.S. NEWS Friday 1 december 2017
Ex-Oklahoma lawmaker pleads guilty to child sex trafficking

ping three child pornogra- and move past this embar-
phy charges against him. rassing and difficult time.”
Shortey, dressed in a blue Shortey previously pleaded
suit and wearing a GPS not guilty to the federal
tracking device on his left charges.
ankle, said nothing when The 35-year-old Shortey
DeGiusti ordered him back resigned in March after
into federal custody pend- he was arrested on state
ing sentencing. charges of engaging in
Shortey removed his jacket child prostitution and trans-
and tie, and federal mar- porting a minor for prosti-
shals handcuffed him and tution.Police in the Okla-
led him away. homa City suburb of Moore
Shortey faces between 10 arrested Shortey, a married
years and life in prison and father of four, in March af-
a fine of up to $250,000 for ter they found him with a
child sex trafficking. 17-year-old boy in a motel
The judge did not set a sen- room and accused him of
tencing date. hiring the boy for sex.
Shortey’s defense attorney, Acting on a tip from the
Ed Blau, released a state- teenager’s father, police
ment after the hearing that went to the motel and
said the former lawmaker smelled marijuana coming
Former two-term Republican state Sen. Ralph Shortey, left, arrives at the federal courthouse in
Oklahoma City, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, with his attorney, Ed Blau, right, to plead guilty to a changed his plea because from a room where they
federal charge of child sex trafficking. Shortey resigned in March after he was arrested on state he wanted “to take full re- found Shortey and the boy.
charges of engaging in child prostitution and transporting a minor for prostitution. Police found sponsibility for his actions q
Shortey with a 17-year-old boy in a motel room and alleged he had hired the boy for sex.
(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
By TIM TALLEY charge of child sex traffick-
Associated Press ing.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Former two-term Republi-
A former Oklahoma state can state Sen. Ralph Short-
senator accused of en- ey entered his plea before
gaging in child prostitution U.S. District Judge Timothy
and pornography pleaded DeGiusti in exchange for
guilty Thursday to a federal federal prosecutors drop-

Texas sheriff says it’s unlikely

border agents were attacked

VAN HORN, Texas (AP) — a tractor-trailer may have
A Texas sheriff who was accidentally sideswiped
among the first people to the pair, The Dallas Morn-
reach two badly injured ing News reported.
U.S. Border Patrol agents I-10 is a heavily traveled
said he thinks they may route for truck drivers and
have been sideswiped accidents regularly occur,
accidentally by a tractor- some due to wind drafts
trailer, not attacked, as and others from drivers
President Donald Trump overcorrecting after drift-
and some others have sug- ing across lanes, Carrillo
gested. said.“From the beginning
The injured agents were we were radioed to assist
found the night of Nov. 18 in the incident as an injury,
along a culvert next to In- not an assault,” Carrillo told
terstate 10 near Van Horn, the newspaper. “That’s the
which is about 110 miles way it was communicated
(175 kilometers) southeast to us.
of El Paso and about 30 “If this was an assault, be-
miles (50 kilometers) from lieve me, as sheriff, I’d
the border with Mexico. be the first one out there
Agent Rogelio Martinez emphasizing safety in our
succumbed to traumatic community and with our
head injuries and broken deputies, pairing them
bones. His partner, who has up,” he added.It’s not
not been identified, was clear why Martinez and
seriously injured and hospi- his partner were along the
talized for several days. The highway and U.S. Customs
agent has no memory of and Border Protection only
what happened that night. said in a statement that
Culberson County Sheriff they “were responding to
Oscar Carrillo said he thinks activity.”q