Former teacher’s victims not local, police say

Ponca City Police spokeswoman Sherry Bowers said Friday morning that the police investigation of former teacher Jason Andrew Shelton has not found any victims who were current or former students.

Shelton, 36, was arrested after a three-month investigation and is currently being held for charges of lewd and indecent proposals to a child under the age of 16 and three counts of soliciting sexual conduct or communication with a minor by use of technology.

The investigation led authorities to a victim as far away as in Canada, Bowers said. An app on Shelton’s phone was from Canada, she said.

Investigators received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Cyber Tip line in February about Shelton having explicit sexual on line conversation with a 13-year-old female through the app on his phone. Police seized Shelton’s cell phone on February 4, the day the tip was received.

Search warrants were obtained for on line conversations between Shelton and what appeared to be others under the age of 18.

He was transported to the Kay County Detention Center this morning.