A former Quapaw tribal officer has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after an undercover police sting in northeast Oklahoma revealed his involvement in a child sex crime.
Thomas Mathews was sentenced Wednesday in Tulsa federal court after pleading guilty to attempted enticement of a minor. He must also register as a sex offender and serve seven years' probation.
The 35-year-old admitted to using a smartphone app in August to communicate with someone he believed to be minor. Mathews was actually chatting with a Miami, Oklahoma, officer posing as a 13-year-old girl.
Court records say Mathews was indicted in November after arranging to meet the minor to engage in sexual activity.
Mathews apologized Wednesday "to the court and my family who were affected by my actions."