Ohio authorities recently arrested 160 people suspected of being clients of sex workers, as part of a week-long crackdown on human trafficking and prostitution across the state.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost on Monday announced the success of a week-long crackdown on human trafficking. The so-called “Operation Buyer’s Remorse” sought to arrest those trying to buy sex and identify survivors of human trafficking, Dave Yost’s office said in a press release.
A large majority of those arrested (149 of 160) were men suspected of being “clients” and who were subsequently arrested and accused of prostitution.
Two others were arrested for allegedly attempting to have sexual relations with minorsand others six were arrested for promoting prostitution, according to the attorney general.
The remaining arrests involved illegal possession of narcotics and/or firearms and other outstanding warrants.
“Law enforcement across Ohio joined together in a concerted effort to stop the demand that fuels human trafficking,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in the statement. “The success of this operation is measured not only by the number of arrests but also by the resources offered to survivors of human trafficking and the intelligence gathered that will drive long-term investigations.”
In a video accompanying his office’s announcement of the raid, Yost, addressing those who patronize sex workers, added: “Operation Buyer’s Remorse was intended to attack the lawsuit. Send a message: ‘You don’t know if you are contributing to human trafficking when you buy sex in Ohio. Don’t buy sex in Ohio.’”
Operation Buyer’s Remorse was led by an investigative commission from the attorney general’s office that focuses on organized crime and focused on all parts of the state, including areas in and around major cities such as Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo , Akron, Youngstown, Marietta and Portsmouth. .
Eight task forces from the human trafficking and major crimes divisions conducted a series of undercover operations between September 25 and 30 to identify and arrest suspects, in coordination with local law enforcement agencies.
In addition to the 160 arrests, authorities conducted search warrants at 11 massage parlors suspected of human trafficking, which are part of ongoing long-term investigations, the attorney general’s office said.
James Schultz, police chief of Willoughby, Ohio, spoke about human trafficking in the attorney general’s video. “The people who are involved in this at the grassroots level are really the victims,” he said.
Behind the arrests were eight task forces across the state that organized raids in late September to lure suspects into faking encounters with sex workers, according to the statement and video.
Prostitution is illegal in Ohio, and several state laws prohibit people from coercing, soliciting, and procuring sex from sex workers.
Engaging in prostitution, as a patron, can lead to potential charges in Ohio ranging from misdemeanors to felonies, depending on the act in question.
Law enforcement officers interviewed 104 survivors of human trafficking, who received services from health care and social service organizations.