Body Cam Footage Shows State Senator Ralph Shortey Caught With 17-Year-Old Boy At Motel [VIDEO]

Published December 5, 2017
Updated December 15, 2017

When asked what he is doing with a teenager in his hotel room, Ralph Shortey said, "We were just hanging out, talking about life and stuff."

Former Oklahoma Republican state Senator Ralph Shortey pleaded guilty to federal child sex trafficking last Thursday after he was caught by police with a teenage boy in his hotel room, reported Oklahoma News 4.

On Monday, the body-cam footage of the police encounter that led to this charge was released to the public.

Police were called to a Super 8 motel in Moore, Okla. in the early morning of March 9 for a welfare check after the parents of a 17-year-old boy discovered inappropriate text messages from the 35-year-old Shortey on the teenager’s cell phone. Shortey was a state Senator at the time, and resigned less than two weeks later.

On the body cam footage, you can see officers from the Moore Police Department responding to this call.

They knock on the motel room door, and attempt for several minutes to convince those inside the room to come out.

At one point, while conversing with someone on the other side of the door, an officer can be heard saying, “You said you’re getting dressed? You better hurry it up.”

They also remark multiple times about the strong smell of marijuana emanating from the room.

Finally, the boy exits the room, before the officers confront Shortey. Inside the room, an unmade bed can be seen.

The former state Senator emerges from behind the door wearing a t-shirt with the words “Ephesians 5:22,” a bible verse in reference to women submitting to their husbands’ will, and the phrase “now go make me a sandwich” printed on it.

When asked what he is doing with a teenager in his hotel room, Shortey said, “We were just hanging out, talking about life and stuff.”

On Nov. 29, Shortey pleaded guilty to federal child sex trafficking, to avoid another charge for child pornography.

The two had talked over social media, where Shortey propositioned the teenager.

According to the affidavit, after the boy expressed a need for money for an upcoming spring break, Shortey responded, “I don’t really have any legitimate things I need help with right now. Would you be interested in sex stuff?”

The boy responded, “Yes.”

Shortey now faces eight and a half years to life imprisonment for his crimes.

His sentencing date has not been set, but he has been denied bail and will remain in federal custody at the Grady County jail until then.


After this look at the Ralph Shortey scandal, read about the proposed Oklahoma bill that would make abortion first degree murder. Then, check out this disturbing body-cam video of a nurse being arrested for following the law.

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Gabe Paoletti
author
Gabe Paoletti is a New York City-based writer and a former Editorial Intern at All That's Interesting. He holds a Bachelor's in English from Fordham University.
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John Kuroski
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John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of interest include modern history and true crime.