Sex offender accused of living near two Stillwater parks

 STILLWATER — A 26-year-old man on probation for soliciting sexual conduct with a minor by text messaging in Cleveland County has been ordered to appear in court on Aug. 12 on Payne County charges of failing to register as a sex offender and illegally living within 2,000 feet of two city parks in Stillwater from April 15, 2025, through July 17, 2025.

   Braden Wade Johnson, who allegedly previously lived in the 1000 block of W. 4th Avenue near Tower Park and Sunset Park, listed his current residence in the 600 block of E. McElroy Road in Stillwater when he posted $15,000 bond on July 1, court records show.

   If convicted of his Payne County charges, Johnson could be given as much as an eight-year prison term and an $8,000 fine, court records show.

   Johnson, who previously lived in Sayre, had been convicted on March 12, 2025, in Cleveland County of sexting and using a computer to commit a crime, for which he was placed on probation for seven years and five years respectively, Department of Corrections records show.

   DOC Probation and Parole Officer Billy Laster, who is assigned to the Stillwater office, alleged in an affidavit, “Johnson sent numerous sexual text messages to what he believed to be a 14-year-old female. On 12/21/2023, Johnson went to Oklahoma City where he believed he was meeting a 14-year-old female, and his intent was to rape and sodomize her. When Johnson arrived at the location, he was arrested by the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office.

   “Johnson has registered as a transient sex offender for over a year, and he is classified as a high-risk sex offender. As such, DOC policy allows GPS equipment to be utilized on high-risk sex offenders that are transient for more than one week. Johnson was supervised out of the Norman DOC Probation and Parole office between 3/13/2025, and 5/18/2026.

   “Johnson attempted to transfer to Stillwater on 3/20/25, (to the 1000 block of W. 4th). This was denied due to that address being within 2,000 feet of two City of Stillwater Parks (Sunset Park and Tower Park.) Johnson was allowed to transfer his supervision to the Stillwater Probation and Parole Office on 5/18/2026, and he is assigned to my caseload.

   “On 6/9/2026, I put a GPS unit on Johnson as he is still considered high-risk, transient, and he is failing to comply with numerous rules of his supervision. This includes being a treatment failure from the sex offender treatment provider.

   “When I activated his GPS equipment on 6/9/2026, I found that he was previously entered in the GPS computer system by his prior supervising officer in Norman. Johnson wore GPS equipment between 4/15/2025, and 7/18/2025.

   “On 6/9/2026, I reviewed GPS data and learned Johnson was living in Stillwater between 4/15/2025, and 7/18/2025 and had never registered with my office nor Stillwater Police Department. I found for those dates that he consistently stayed at (a residence in the 1000 block of W. 4th in Stillwater). He was staying at this residence after he had been denied transfer in March of 2025.

   “In summary, between 4/15/2025, and 7/18/2025, Johnson was residing in Stillwater and had never registered. Further, the locations he was staying are within 2,000 feet of City of Stillwater parks.”