A Houston man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for traveling to Tulsa to sexually abuse a minor, the Department of Justice announced yesterday. Lee Finch, II, 49, was also sentenced to lifetime supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender after his incarceration.

According to the DOJ's press release, the abuse began in June 2016 when Finch initiated contact with the 12-year-old victim during overnights at his home. After moving to Houston in September 2016, Finch continued to travel back to Tulsa to carry out the sexual assault. Despite a Tulsa County District Court's no-contact order and state charges for lewd proposals to a child, Finch persisted in illegally communicating with the minor, persuading them to lie to the authorities.

The mother of the victim uncovered sexually explicit messages between her child and Finch in April 2018 and took the evidence to the Tulsa Police Department. This led to additional state charges for Finch, who pleaded guilty in June 2020 to using a computer to violate Oklahoma statutes. Yet, he violated court orders by maintaining contact with the minor victim.

The truth of their contact was brought to light once again in April 2021 when the victim expressed the full nature of their "relationship" with Finch to law enforcement. Federal charges were consequently filed in April 2023, including Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct. Finch pled guilty to both charges in September 2023, leading up to his 15-year sentence by U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III.

This case formed part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the DOJ to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The case was a collaborative investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Dunn leading the prosecution.