8/30/2015 – OKC, OK — Today’s The Oklahoman newspaper features an article about JohnTV.com’s own Video Vigilante Brian Bates and his recent use of drone technology to bust a couple engaged in an act of prostitution related public lewdness (see sample images below).
The article, by reporter Andrew Knittle, was prompted by Bates’ recent publication of a video showing a known felon street prostitute being taken to a tire dump by her ‘John.’ Once there, Bates’ launched an unmanned aerial vehicle (aka, drone) and captured the illegal activity. You can read more about that particular ‘bust’ at this link on JohnTV.
A copy of the video has been turned over to the Oklahoma City Vice Unit and they have since identified both the female prostitute and the male ‘John.’ Police have turned the results of their investigation over to the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s office and requested criminal charges to be filed.
Collage of images from JohnTV’s first ever drone bust.
The Oklahoman article appears on the front page of the Metro section and provides a overview of the video described above, and a brief history of how Bates initially got involved in prostitution and human trafficking awareness almost 20-years ago.
Article appearing in today’s Sunday edition of The Oklahoman newspaper.
Click here to read the entire article at The Oklahoman’s website.
The online version of the article also includes a video interview Knittle conducted with Bates at The Oklahoman’s new downtown OKC office and media studio. The video interview is below (if the video does not appear embedded below, refresh your browser screen or click this link to view the video at the Oklahoman’s website).
Though The Oklahoman has many times reported on Bates, this article marks the first real profile piece done by the paper since Bates began documenting street, forced and organized prostitution and human trafficking in the metro back in 1996.
Additional Resources:
- 8/6/2015 – JohnTV – New Video: JohnTV uses a drone to catch a ‘John’ engaged in a lewd act with a S. Robinson street prostitute. LINK
- 8/6/2015 – YouTube – JohnTV Ep: 500 – A man is busted by a drone having sex with a street prostitute in Oklahoma City. LINK
- 8/6/2015 – KFOR – Oklahoma City activist using drone to bust ‘acts of lewdness.’ LINK
JohnTV YouTube LINK to same story. JohnTV YouTube LINK to outtakes from KFOR news story. - 8/30/2015 – NewsOK – Oklahoma City’s ‘Video Vigilante’ now using drones to catch hookers, johns in action. LINK
- JohnTV’s YouTube channel. LINK