A statewide operation that included law enforcement agencies in several counties resulted in the arrest of more than 50 people, including those charged with trying to buy sex with minors.
The sweep of human trafficking offenders, dubbed Operation Time’s Up, involved 98 different law enforcement agencies, which included county sheriff’s offices, police departments and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The operation was conducted under the Ohio Attorney General’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigation Commission.
Attorney General Dave Yost said the intent was to go after the “demand” of human trafficking, or offenders known as “johns.”
“There's no selling without buyers. If we got to the point where no men wanted to buy sex, nobody would be selling it. And so enforcing the laws against engaging prostitution against the buyers is a critical element of our enforcement strategy,” said Yost.
The operation resulted in the arrests of 35 people seeking to buy sex, and the arrests of another 21 people seeking to buy sex with victims under 18-years-old.
Yost said the sweep was conducted by different, multi-jurisdictional task forces that are supported by the attorney general’s office.
“But they still have a great deal of local autonomy. We work with them on the things that they say are needed in their local communities. It's run by local law enforcement with state support,” said Yost.
Of the 35 people arrested for trying to buy sex with someone over the age of 18, many will face a charge of engaging in prostitution, this is a first-degree misdemeanor. A conviction of that charge includes the required completion of a human trafficking education course.
“Human trafficking is fueled by customers – predators – who engage in paid sexual services,” said Alex Lape, Fairfield County sherrif, in a statement. “Conducting proactive undercover sting operations is an effective tactic to bring public awareness to human trafficking and education to the buyers of paid sexual services.”
The attorney general’s office said law enforcement officers interviewed the people they came across who were offering to sell sex. Then they were offered medical and social services from non-governmental agencies and non-profits that work with law enforcement in these task forces.
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