BA Man arrested for allegedly trying to meet 14-year-old for sex

TULSA, Okla. — A 60-year-old Broken Arrow man was arrested earlier this month for allegedly trying to meet an officer posing as a 14-year-old for sex.

The Tulsa Police Department says they started an investigation back on September 5th into adults using social media to entice children to commit sexual acts.

During the investigation, police claim David Zingarelli allegedly started messaging an officer posing as a 14-year-old girl.

According to police, Zingarelli went into graphic details about the sex acts he wanted to do with the girl and sent several photos of his genitals, asking her to commit sex acts in return.

On September 6th, police claimed Zingarelli suggested the girl skip school so they could meet up.

On September 8th, police claimed Zingarelli told the girl he would pick her up and bring her to his house.

Zingarelli allegedly asked where the girl lived and when she provided an area in midtown Tulsa, he suggested a nearby park where he could pick her up.

He was detained and questioned at the park and electronic evidence was recovered by police. Zingarelli was then arrested at the scene for lewd proposal to a minor child.

TPD says the social media platforms used will not be released to protect ongoing investigations and noted that “all internet platforms and communication methods are capable of being exploited by child predators.” They also encourage parents and caregivers of children to be vigilant about the risks of unattended use of electronic devices and social media.

Education resources from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children can be found at www.missingkids.org.

TPD’s Sexual Predator Digital Evidence Recovery Unit can be reached by emailing spdrunit@cityoftulsa.org.