Bartlesville is a city lying mostly within and is the county seat of Washington County, Oklahoma. It has a population of about 37,000 residents and is located 47 miles north of Tulsa. Prostitution has been documented in the city, resulting in complaints to local law enforcement. For example, in 2017 a woman was arrested on prostitution charges during a sting operation at a massage business in the city.

At least one opportunistic sex buyer arrest has occurred in the city. In April 2023, a Bartlesville man appeared in court on the charge of enticing/soliciting prostitution within 1000 feet of a church or school. According to an affidavit, the man had his first incident of many at a commonly known therapeutic location in July 2022. The affidavit stated that during a massage, the man allegedly tried to uncover himself with the sheet multiple times but failed. After the massage ended, he handed over a tightly rolled $50 bill and asked to book another massage a week later. At the second massage the next week, the victim stated the man was allegedly naked, face down on the table with a $100 next to him when she entered the room. When the victim started the massage, the man reportedly made inappropriate gestures on top of the massage table, and had to be stopped. At a different location, within 1,000 feet of a church property, another victim in this case alleged that the man exposed himself while lying on his back. The victim said she later received allegedly inappropriate text messages from the man, ranging from complimenting her looks to asking for sex if he offered extra money. The man’s identity was released to the press.