Salem man declared sex offender, going to prison
A Salem man caught in a statewide human trafficking crackdown is going to prison.
Jason Walker, 39, was sentenced was handed a one-year sentence on Friday by Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony Donofrio.
Walker pleaded guilty to importuning, attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and resisting arrest back in February.
As part of his sentence, Walker must register as a Tier Two Sex Offender.
According to the Ohio Attorney General, Walker and 13 other men were arrested in October as part of Operation Autumn Home, which was a federal, state, and local law enforcement effort that rescued 109 human trafficking victims, including 45 children in Ohio.
The operation, which encompassed more than 50 law enforcement agencies, targeted missing and exploited children, and those seeing to have sex with a minor.
In total, 177 people were arrested in the operation.