By John Dobberstein, Editor
Wagoner County sheriff’s deputies recently arrested a man believed to have been stalking a juvenile in Broken Arrow.
A deputy was dispatched to the 26100 block of East 86th Steet on Oct. 1 at about 5:30 p.m. for a suspicious subject. The homeowner said they left their residence and a short time later their Ring doorbell notified them that someone was at their front door.
The homeowner looked at the camera and observed an unidentified white male “snooping around” the front porch, deputies said. The homeowner commented about the “weird looking man” to their juvenile child and showed it to the juvenile, who said it “looked like a guy who had been following” the juvenile on social media accounts.
Deputies said the juvenile would block the man on social media and he would create new profiles to contact the juvenile again. Due to the circumstances, the homeowner called the sheriff’s office to report the information.
On Oct. 6, Wagoner County 911 Dispatch received a phone call from the homeowner advising the man was at their residence in the yard. Two deputies arrived on scene, located the male subject, and took him in custody. The subject was identified as Daren Chase of Broken Arrow.
Chase is facing charges for stalking and lewd proposals to a minor under 16.
“He was charged after having repeated, non-consensual interactions with a juvenile, including making lewd proposals to the juvenile over social media and seeking the juvenile out at their personal residence,” Wagoner County Sheriff Chris Elliott said. “These interactions caused the juvenile, as well as other family members, to feel frightened, threatened, and intimidated.
“It is important that parents regularly go through their children’s phones looking for sexually explicit material and signs that younger teens and pre-teens may be being targeted or groomed by older individuals looking to take advantage of them,” Elliott added. “Also make sure to discuss the danger associated with using social media improperly with your children.”
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