California Man to Serve 131 Months in Prison for Traveling to Oklahoma with Intent to Have Sex with 8-Year-Old Girl

OKLAHOMA CITY—Today, STEVEN LEE WINTERSTEEN, 62, of Mammoth Lakes, California, was sentenced to serve 131 months in federal prison following his conviction for traveling from Reno, Nevada, to Oklahoma City for the purpose of having sex with a girl he believed to be 8 years old and for possession of child pornography, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. 

Wintersteen was convicted following a jury trial in February of this year. According to evidence at trial, Wintersteen became acquainted with an Oklahoma City-area woman in October 2009, through a matchmaking website for individuals who are interested in unusual sexual experiences. Wintersteen initiated contact with the woman through the website’s e-mail system. He described himself as an “older daddy” looking for a “daddy’s girl” for a long term relationship. Wintersteen described himself as a retired fireman who looked like Santa Claus because of his white hair and beard.

Wintersteen and the woman began corresponding via Yahoo! Instant Messenger, and he asked the age of the woman’s daughter. She told him the girl was 8. Using Instant Messaging photo sharing, Wintersteen sent the woman a picture of himself naked—except for a  Santa Claus hat—and told the woman that he could not wait to show the “little one” “Santa” wearing only boots and a hat. Over the course of many phone calls, instant messages, and text messages, Wintersteen told the woman in explicit detail that he wanted to have sex with the girl, and he made plans to travel to Oklahoma City for a four-day visit. Unbeknownst to Wintersteen, the woman was cooperating with the FBI, recording all of her communications with him, and the 8-year-old girl did not exist.

On November 8, 2009, Wintersteen drove from his home in Mammoth Lakes to the Reno, Nevada airport, where he boarded a flight for Oklahoma City. He arrived at Will Rogers World Airport late that night, and agents recognized him by his full white beard as he got off the plane. His baggage included a Santa Claus hat, a stuffed animal purchased from the Reno airport gift shop, three different types of erectile dysfunction pills, a camera, and a laptop computer containing child pornography.

This case is a result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oklahoma City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon Hale and Randy Sengel.