A 53-year-old Austintown man who was scheduled to go to trial in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Tuesday instead entered guilty pleas to the charges.

Nikitas M. Zirounis, 53, of Austintown, pled guilty to the charge of compelling prostitution and to attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in Judge Anthony Donofrio's courtroom, stemming from an August 2021 arrest by the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office.

Zirounis was arrested along with 34 other people during a two-month-long sting operation conducted by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. 

At the time of the arrest, Sheriff Jerry Greene told 21 News that the arrests were made during Operation Full Court Press in a crackdown on predators seeking to engage in sexual activity with children online.
 
Other charges against Zirounis of soliciting and possessing criminals tools were dropped.
 
The Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office is recommending a one-year prison sentence.
 
Zirounis will be sentenced on Sept. 8 in Judge Donofrio's court at 11 a.m.