Tulsa Physician Charged with Producing Child Porn; Attempted to Meet Local Minor for Sex

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Tulsa, Okla., physician was charged in federal court today with using a minor to produce child pornography.

Shelby Coleman, of Tulsa, was charged with using a minor to produce child pornography in a federal criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo. Coleman is a medical doctor and partner of Tulsa Women’s Health Center.

According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s federal criminal complaint, Coleman communicated with a 16-year-old minor in Laclede County, Mo., identified as “N.D.,” via cell phone texts. Coleman and N.D. allegedly sent one another sexually explicit text messages and images. Coleman allegedly sent N.D. a sexually explicit video of himself. During some of the chats with N.D., Coleman allegedly stated that he wanted to drive around in his Porsche 911 with N.D. naked.

When N.D.’s father discovered the text messages, the affidavit says, he contacted the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A state trooper assumed the identity of N.D. for the purpose of the investigation.

On Friday, Sept. 27, 2013, Coleman texted N.D. and made arrangements to meet for sex at a Springfield, Mo., hotel. Coleman arrived at the hotel in his Porsche on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013 and texted instructions for N.D. to come to his hotel room. Law enforcement officers confronted Coleman in his hotel room and, after questioning by officers, Coleman was arrested.

Dickinson cautioned that the charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the FBI, the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.