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The Ohio Attorney General's office says a statewide crackdown on human trafficking resulted in 56 arrests, 17 of whom were jailed in Mahoning and Columbiana Counties over the weekend.
The weekend effort dubbed "Operation Time's Up" involved 98 law enforcement agencies across the state and resulted in the arrests of 35 “johns” seeking to buy sex and 21 others seeking to buy sex from minors, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
Coordinated by the Attorney General's Ohio Organized Crime Investigation Commission, the operation targeted the demand for human trafficking with a series of stings aimed at arresting buyers of sex, commonly called johns.
The sweep also coincided with the culmination of an investigation of illicit massage parlors in Cleveland and a statewide search for missing children by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Law enforcement agencies in Franklin, Mahoning, and Scioto counties focused on crimes against children by arresting individuals seeking to buy sex from minors. The 21 arrested face felony charges that include attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
Suspects were booked into jail on charges of attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor and possessing criminal tools. In most cases, the "criminal tools" are mobile phones or computers used to set up sexual encounters.
Other charges for some of those arrested are promoting prostitution and importuning, which is soliciting someone for sex acts.
One of the suspects was arrested two days before his birthday.
The participating agencies were the Columbiana County Sheriff, Salem, Youngstown, Cortland, East Palestine, Warren, and Austintown Police Departments. One person arrested is in the Columbiana County Jail.
The Mahoning County Sheriff's Office also tells 21 News they were thankful to the FBI, Homeland Security, Ohio Investigative Unit, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol for their help and resources in taking the suspects down.
Thomas Ashby, 34, Warren, OH, Moving Company
Importuning, attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, possessing criminal tools
Thomas Baker Sr., 37, Fast Food General Manager
Compelling prostitution, attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, possessing criminal tools
Michael Beal, 44, Deerfield, Ohio Roofing Contractor
Importuning, attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, possessing criminal tools
Jay Emmert, 33, Niles, OH, Roofing/construction
Importuning, attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, possessing criminal tools
Robert Hartsock, 46, Struthers, OH, Plumbing
Compelling prostitution, attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, possessing criminal tools
Glenn Jones, 58, Clark, NJ, Truck Driver
Compelling prostitution, attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, possessing criminal tools
Ronnie Lampkin, 38, Youngstown
Importuning, attempted sexual conduct with a minor, possession of criminal tools.
Herbert Lashhorn, 46, Akron, Truck Driver
Compelling prostitution, unlawful attempted sexual conduct with a minor, possessing criminal tools.
Benjamin Virga, 52, Shelby, MI, Automotive paint delivery
Importuning, attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, possessing criminal tools.
Gary Minch Jr, 49, West Alexander, Pa. Machinist
Compelling prostitution, attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, importuning, possession of criminal tools.
Jeremiah Torrence, 32, Akron, Mechanic
Disseminating material harmful to juveniles, importuning, possessing criminal tools, attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, pandering obscenity involving a minor
Carlos Rush, 57, Warren, Security Officer
Compelling prostitution, attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, possessing criminal tools
Mark Dupuis, 57, New Iberia, Lousiana, Truck Driver
Attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, importuning, possessing criminal tools
John Burnett, 25, Youngstown, Machinist
Importuning, disseminating material harmful to juveniles, compelling prostitution, possessing criminal tools
Gary Wellendorf, 64, Struthers, Disability
Importuning, attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, possessing criminal tools
Justin Teague, 44, Poland, Casino employee
Importuning, attempted sexual conduct with a minor, possessing criminal tools
Jake McMahon, 28, New Castle, Pa. Factory worker
Compelling prostitution, attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, possessing criminal tools
Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene told 21 News these human trafficking cases happen when predators seek out minors online or when parents of these minors are addicted to drugs and are feeding their addiction by selling their children.
According to the Attorney General, law officers who came across individuals offering to sell sex – men and women – interviewed them; the victims were also offered medical and social services from nongovernmental agencies and nonprofits working alongside law enforcement. Such intervention can help pull victims out of the trafficking trap.
Interviews with both buyers and sellers of sex yielded tips helpful in long-term investigations. In July, for example, two Cuyahoga County residents were indicted on charges of trafficking multiple women, indictments that stemmed from a previous sting by the Cuyahoga Regional Human Trafficking Task Force.
Sheriff Greene wants any predator out there to be afraid and think law enforcement is on the other end of that communication when soliciting sex from minors.