True Crime Chronicles: Despite two arrests on sex crime charges former deputy released after serving 3 1/2 years

Cullen Ray Jones, a former Pushmataha County Sheriff’s deputy, was arrested in July 2019 in Canadian County, Oklahoma, during a sting operation by the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office.

Jones, then 45, drove over 100 miles from Okemah to meet someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl he had contacted online, intending to engage in explicit sexual acts, including “daddy-daughter” role-play and bondage.

Deputies discovered gloves, a knife, and zip ties in his truck, suggesting potentially dangerous intentions.  Initially charged with lewd or indecent proposals to a child under 16.

Jones, a former law enforcement officer trusted to uphold the law, was released on bond pending sentencing--a decision that critics argue showed undue leniency for someone with his background and access to tools of authority. While free on bond, Jones continued his predatory behavior, contacting another decoy posing as a teenager, this time operated by Stop Online Sexual Abuse (SOSA), who believed the decoy was in Chicago.

SOSA’s investigation linked him to his prior arrest through public records, prompting authorities to intervene.  The charge was amended to soliciting sexual conduct or communication with a minor using technology/

Jones pleaded guilty in Canadian County District Court and received a 10-year sentence in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, along with mandatory lifelong sex offender registration. Shockingly, Jones was released late last Fall, as evidenced by his “INACTIVE” status in ODOC records by October 2025, serving only about three and a half years of his decade-long sentence.  

This early release, likely facilitated by parole or good time credits, has drawn scrutiny, particularly given Jones’s history as a deputy who betrayed public trust. Critics argue that the system’s leniency--allowing a former law enforcement officer to reoffend while on bond and then serve a fraction of his sentence--undermines accountability for those once tasked with protecting communities.

Jones began sex offender registration on November 12, 2024, with an end date of May 24, 2056, and resides on N 4230 Road in Antlers, Pushmataha County

 His swift return to society raises questions about whether justice adequately reflects the severity of his crimes, especially for someone who once wore a badge.