Clinton J. Johnson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Thomas Edward Petro, 32, from Ashtabula, Ohio, has been sentenced to 140 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release. This decision comes after a jury found him guilty in November 2024 of coercing and enticing a minor. Upon his release, Petro will be required to register as a sex offender.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell delivered the sentence following evidence that Petro used social media to engage with a 13-year-old child. U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson emphasized the importance of parental awareness regarding children's interactions on cell phones: "Petro enticed this child using social media," he stated.
The trial revealed that Petro met the minor through an app and shared numerous sexually explicit messages and materials with them. Despite knowing the child's age, Petro urged secrecy about their relationship and requested explicit images from the victim.
The situation came to light when the minor confided in a friend who informed a school resource officer. The officer then alerted the principal and reported it to the FBI. During testimony, an FBI agent confirmed that Petro was aware of the child's age and never ceased encouraging sexual activity.
Following his conviction, Petro was taken into custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The case was investigated by both the FBI and Adair Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Brandon and Scott Dunn.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), an initiative started in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse across federal, state, and local levels.
For further details on PSC or internet safety education resources, visit DOJ’s PSC page.
