A former Missouri teacher and coach is sentenced to 30 years in prison on six counts related to exploitation and sexual abuse of an Oklahoma child.
57-year-old Ronald Dale Sanders of Belton, Missouri, received the 360-month prison sentence yesterday in a federal court. He will also be required to submit to lifetime supervision and will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Sanders admitted to driving from Missouri to Oklahoma to engage in inappropriate acts with a 14-year-old on several occasions in 2023. Court records show that Sanders' employment career included teaching special education, middle school education, and coaching boys’ and girls’ teams. He was apprehended during a traffic stop in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, where it was discovered that he was in possession of thousands of messages with a minor that contained explicit material.
The FBI, the Miami Police Department, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case. Miami Public Schools played a significant role in the investigation.
Sanders will remain in custody pending his transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
