Ohio Human Trafficking Investigation Leads to 132 Arrests

Published on Nov 5, 2024 |

Human Trafficking

A few weeks ago, on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost issued an announcement. He said that a multi-agency task force led by the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) had just wrapped up the previous week. That law enforcement dragnet, named Operation END-OHHT, took place between Oct. 6 and 12 in at least 19 Ohio counties and yielded a reported 132 arrests. The latter portion of that initiative’s name, OHHT, is a nod to the Ohio human trafficking hotline by the same name.

Who Was Arrested as Part of Operation END-OHHT

Among the 132 arrestees during the multi-day operation were 110 “Johns,” as the AG’s office refers to them. Those individuals now face prostitution-related charges, including solicitation ones. Another 22 of those also arrested during the week-long sting operation are additionally facing drug possession or sex with a minor charges.

The arrestees, and now criminal defendants, come from a wide spectrum of ages and career paths. The AG’s office describes the youngest person arrested as being 21 and the oldest 71. Some of them included students, entrepreneurs, government workers, and laborers. It appears that at least some of those arrests occurred at a motel or massage parlor.

Law Enforcement’s Motivation Behind Launching This Investigation

AG Yost announced that the primary motivating factor behind launching this investigation was to “hold accountable those who exploit survivors or fuel human trafficking by agreeing to pay for sex.”

At least 74 human trafficking victims, which the AG’s office appropriately referred to as “survivors,” were helped as part of this initiative. They were placed in contact with social services and healthcare organizations.

There Is Help for You If Someone Is Trafficking You

Here at Hendrickson & Long, PLLC, we’ve made a name for ourselves by representing injury victims in West Virginia and beyond. If you have been victimized and want to hold responsible parties liable for what you’ve endured, you can, and our personal injury lawyers in Charleston can help. Give us a call or email us for a confidential consultation with an attorney in our office. It’s free.