February 20, 2023
BKSO Press Release
Beckham County Sheriff Derek Manning announced Friday afternoon that his office has arrested a former deputy on a felony complaint.
The man, Jacob Tyler Smith, 23, of Sayre, was arrested on a complaint that involved sending sexually explicit messages to a 17 year old girl.
Manning said Smith, who had worked for the sheriff’s office for about four months, was immediately suspended while the allegations against him were investigated. The sheriff said the initial complaint came through the Beckham County Sheriff’s app as an anonymous tip.
Manning said Smith’s employment was terminated the following Monday morning.
“The criminal investigation is ongoing, but it became clear to us early in our investigation that there was sufficient evidence to file a complaint with the district attorney’s office for Soliciting Sexual Conduct or Communication With a Minor by Use of Technology. We received an arrest warrant today based on that complaint and executed it immediately.”
Manning said he and his undersheriff served the warrant at Smith’s residence Friday afternoon, and Smith was taken into custody without incident. He is in jail on a $50,000 bond.
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