(The Center Square) – More than 100 people were charged for trying to buy sex in a statewide human-trafficking operation conducted last week in Ohio.
Attorney General Dave Yost said Monday some of those sex exchanges involved minors, and he said Operation END-OHHT took aim at the demand for trafficking in sex.
“We have to attack this scourge by curbing the demand,” Yost said. “This operation aimed to hold accountable those who exploit survivors or fuel human trafficking by agreeing to pay for sex.”
The operation took place Oct. 6-12 in 19 counties, including major operations in Akron, Columbus, Cleveland, Marietta, Portsmouth, Toledo and the Mahoning Valley area.
Overall, 132 people were arrested, including 110 who were trying to buy sex and face charges of engaging in prostitution or solicitation. Twenty-two others were charged with felonies for seeking commercial sex with a minor and/or possessing narcotics.
Yost said those arrested came from different backgrounds, from laborers and government employees to students and business owners. They ranged in age from 21 to 71.
The operation also identified 74 human trafficking survivors, referring them to health care and social services organizations.
Law enforcement personnel also raided nine locations that Yost said had been linked to human trafficking, including several massage parlors and a motel. Overall, more than $20,000 cash and other evidence was seized.
“Operation END-OHHT reinforced the consequences for those who think that engaging in prostitution is permissible,” Yost said. “Our message is simple: Don’t buy sex in Ohio.”
Those arrested included Jeffrey Startzman, 68 of Brookville, who is a former prosecutor and magistrate and current board member for Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services.
John Hughes, 35 of Columbus, was charged with two counts of pandering for seeking to buy sex from a minor. He works for the Ohio Treasurer’s Office and officiates high school sports.
Also, Aguilera Ramos, a citizen of Honduras without legal status in the U.S., was arrested after he responded to an online advertisement offering sex with a female he believed to be 15.
“Human trafficking is a serious issue nationwide, and, unfortunately, Franklin County is not exempt from its impact,” Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin said. “This is why we once again partnered with the Ohio attorney general’s office and local law enforcement agencies to combat this illegal activity. Our collaboration helps strengthen our investigations and convictions. This also allows us a chance to offer much-needed support to the victims caught in this heinous crime.”
