ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Former Oklahoma state Sen. Ralph Shortey, a Republican who actually headed up President Donald Trump’s campaign in that state, agreed to plead guilty to a charge of child sex trafficking.

Shortey was elected in 2010 — but not before closing the door on his personal dream of becoming a missionary.

If Americans learn nothing else from this, it should be this: Evil comes in all forms, even cloaked in Christian conservatism.

Through his attorney, Shortey agreed to plead guilty later this month to child sex trafficking stemming from his admitted offer to pay a 17-year-old boy for “sexual” favors back in March.

Both police and FBI officials kicked off an investigation based on a tip from the teen boy’s girlfriend. Law enforcement then found the teen with Shortey at a Super 8 hotel in March.

According to police reports about the arrest, Shortey met the boy through Craigslist in 2016 and then chatted on the messaging app Kik before meeting at the hotel. The teen reportedly agreed to the sexual dalliance because he said on Kik he wanted “money for spring break,” the Washington Examiner reported, citing police reports.

Shortey faces between 10 years and life behind bars.

Doubtless, communities will register shock and awe, particularly because of Shortey’s combination Christian-conservative beliefs, for his high-placed position in politics, for his proper appearance, for his proper manner of speech and dress, for his proper family background — he was married with four children. But why?

Why be shocked at evil?

Spiritual blindness is a theme that’s been coursing through humanity since the dawn of time — and it’s one that marks hard on America right now. If nothing else, let Americans learn from Shortey’s case: Evil comes disguised as what humans regard as good.

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