District Attorney Erik Johnson announced that William Southern, 31, of Seminole County, was sentenced Tuesday afternoon by Associate District Judge Christopher Anderson to the following: Count 1: Aggravated Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material 35 years Count 2: Distribution of Obscene Material or Child Sexual Abuse Material 10 years Count 3: Violation of OK Statute via Computer 5 years The counts will run concurrently with the last five years suspended. At least 85% of the sentence must be served before Southern is eligible for parole.

District 22 Chief Investigator Doug Parker conducted the investigation in conjunction with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force to secure the convictions in this case.

“Protecting our children across Oklahoma is a top priority,” said Hunter McKee, Public Information Manager with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. “The OSBI Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force works around the clock to make sure these suspects are located and arrested. We appreciate our local law enforcement partners who assisted us throughout this investigation.”

Southern possessed more than 200 videos depicting child sexual abuse and distributed more than 100 such videos via social media platforms.

Background Southern was charged last June in Seminole County District Court with one count of aggravated possession of child sexual abuse material and one count of violation of an Oklahoma statute via computer.

According to an affidavit, Parker was asked by Assistant District Attorney Chris Auger to review a case involving Southern. During the review, Parker learned that Southern had been arrested in 2024 by the Seminole County Sher(See (Continued from Page 1) iff’s Department at a rural residence on charges of Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material and Violation of Oklahoma Statute via Computer.

An Amended Felony Information was filed on Dec. 5, 2024 for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material and Violation of Oklahoma Statute via Computer and on March 11, 2025, another Amended Felony Information was filed for Aggravated Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material and Violation of Oklahoma Statute via Computer against Southern.

Last April, Parker contacted the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC) and requested all digital evidence pertaining to the Cyber Tips they had received involving Southern. The case was assigned to Parker and the files were transferred to him.

Parker wrote in the affidavit that he also reviewed a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). It contained 40 uploaded files, eight of which were categorized as apparent child pornography.

When Southern was charged last year, his bond was set at $1 million.

“Child exploitation crimes cause lasting harm to children and our community, and those who commit these crimes must face serious consequences,” said Johnson. “I commend the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation’s ICAC Task Force and District 22 Chief Investigator Doug Parker for their investigative work. I also want to recognize the tremendous preparation and fortitude required of my First Assistant District Attorney Krystina Phillips and Assistant District Attorney Chris Hauger in prosecuting these deeply disturbing cases. Their commitment to justice and to protecting children in our communities is outstanding.”