Federal agent: TX man sentenced who drove to OK with intent for sex with minor has more victims
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A federal agent says a man sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison for driving to Moore, Oklahoma, with the intent to have sex with a minor has numerous other victims across state lines.
On Monday, the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Oklahoma, shared that 25-year-old Bryan Cruz had been sentenced in connection to an April 2024 case in Moore. Police reports said that on April 5, 2024, a Moore police officer showed up at a home in the city after getting a call from a neighbor that someone was looking into the window of a 13-year-old girl.
Texas man sentenced after traveling to Oklahoma to engage in sexual acts with a minor
Authorities were able to find Cruz nearby using a thermal imaging drone and arrested him. The minor's parents allowed police to search a laptop used by the minor and discovered that the two had met online. He told the minor he was a 17-year-old high school student and expressed interest in meeting the minor.
News 4 spoke with the victim's mother on Thursday, and to protect her daughter, we are only referring to her as Tali.
'He had told her his name was Alex, that he was 17,' said Tali.
Tali said her daughter used the messaging app 'Discord' to connect with Cruz. The app's website says it's a 'group chat that's all fun and games.' Tali had said that her daughter never should have been able to access the app due to parental controls, but she bypassed them using her father's birthday.
She also went on to say that she was disturbed when she finally got a chance to review the messages herself.
'They have like messages back and forth, for about, over a month,' said Tali.
Eventually, Tali's daughter gave Cruz enough personal information to act. He traveled from Dallas to Moore to engage in illicit activity, over 200 miles away.
Officials say on May 7, 2024, a two-count indictment was returned against Cruz, charging him with coercion and enticement of a minor and interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor. On September 12, 2024, Cruz pleaded guilty to count 2 of the indictment and admitted to traveling to Oklahoma to meet with the minor.
Cruz was sentenced on May 1, 2025, to 210 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
'These types of predators know no boundaries,' said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent Andrea Salazar.
Salazar said they conducted a thorough investigation of Cruz leading up to the sentencing, and also said that he has other victims and a pattern of behavior.
'He has a technique about grooming these minors and asking very personal questions and pushing their boundaries and seeing what they're able to indulge in and what they're able to kind of let him know about themselves,' said Salazar.
Salazar said parents should always be vigilant about their children's online activity. Tali said it's hard to keep up in a world of technology that's constantly changing.
'As soon as you like, catch up, there's something new,' said Tali.
Salazar said kids should also be vigilant about their own personal online use, given the reality of predators.
'There's people out there that do no have good intentions,' said Salazar. 'That do not have the best, their best interests at heart on the other end.'
Know2Protect is a Department of Homeland Security national public awareness campaign to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults, and policymakers to:
Prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Explain how to report online enticement and victimization.
Offer resources for victims and survivors and their supporters.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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