An Oklahoma State Senator has been charged with child rape after being caught by police in a hotel room with a young boy.
Three felony charges were filed against Ralph Shortey by the Cleveland District Attorney, including one for engaging in child prostitution.
Thedeadstate.org reports: In the wake of Shortey’s arrest, LGBT advocacy groups noted his support for anti-LGBT legislation such as a proposed “bathroom bill” from last year.
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From The Norman Transcript:
These stigmatizing bills create fear, bias, and discrimination against the LGBTQ community even when they fail. We find it highly ironic that Senator Shortey voted to advance this legislation out of committee, and less than a year later, he was caught in what appears to be actual predatory behavior toward a vulnerable youth. …
There has never been a legitimate recorded incident in Oklahoma of a transgender person harming anyone in a restroom, yet there are numerous accounts of predatory behavior by anti-LGBTQ legislators who have taken bigoted votes akin to the vote Senator Shortey cast last year.
#RalphShortey, who is under investigation after a teen boy was found in his motel room, meets with Trump, Jr. the next day. Douchbag. pic.twitter.com/CKPnJ8MQhg
— Sam Newman (@SamNewman45) March 15, 2017
According to the Moore Police Department, police went to “check on a juvenile at the Super 8 Motel in Moore last Thursday.” When they found Shortey and the juvenile, who is 17, there was allegedly a “strong smell of marijuana” and an open box condoms in the juvenile’s bag. Shortey claimed he had simply gone to the hotel to “hang out with a friend.”
Police say the juvenile’s parents said he has a history of soliciting himself online. KFOR reports that communication records show the teen told Shortey that he needed money for spring break, to which Shortey allegedly responded, “would you be interested in ‘sexual’ stuff?”
In the wake of his arrest, the Oklahoma Senate voted to bar Shortey from all his work as a Senator. He is married with three children and was also the manager for Donald Trump’s campaign during the primaries.
