A total of 135 people were arrested in an operation aiming to crack down on human trafficking in Ohio. More than a hundred members of law enforcement statewide were involved in what’s being called Operation Next Door.
“We call this Operation Next Door because the victim is the girl next door. It's the boy next door. It's the 'john' next door," said Attorney General Dave Yost in a video about the statewide sting.
A total of 103 'johns', or people seeking to buy sex, were arrested, including a 76-year-old Greek Orthodox priest from Cleveland, a Cleveland Heights teacher and a former federal defense attorney. An additional 32 people were nabbed on prostitution and/or drug charges. Nine search warrants were carried out on massage parlors in the Toledo, Cleveland and Akron areas, which Yost described as "a growing problem in Ohio that I've been eager to pursue.”
"We have shocking people or shocking individuals—dads, attorneys, and in this case, the clergy," said Lorain County Sheriff Jack Hall. "That is a person that we're supposed to go to to seek comfort, to seek guidance, and to seek assistance if these types of criminal activities are taking place. And that trust was violated by that individual last week when he decided that he was going to solicit individuals for sex."
The sting also found 67 survivors who were referred to health-care and social-services organizations.
Those arrested face charges related to prostitution, drugs, pornography and activities involving minors. Yost had this message for prosecutors already busy with violent crimes.
"I know that a lot of these cases, particularly the john cases, are not the most serious crimes that you're going to have on your docket on any given day. I know that you've got rapes and robberies and murders to deal with," Yost said. "I thank you for your courage and your tenacity in prosecuting those serious cases. But here's the thing: human trafficking is just as much a serious offense as those other things, and in some ways is among the most serious offenses we ever have in our society, because it's not just a violation of the body. It's a violation of personhood. It breaks the soul and it deserves to be prosecuted."
Among those arrested:
- a 76 year old Greek Orthodox priest from Cleveland – his second arrest
- a 36-year-old Maple Heights man who was also charged with child endangering for leaving his 15-month-old child at home while he went out to buy sex
- a 77-year-old federal defense attorney from Columbus who now lives in Missouri
- a 55-year-old schoolteacher from Cleveland Heights
- a 62-year-old substitute teacher from Dayton
- a 40-year-old former Wapakoneta police officer
- a 24-year-old US military employee from Maryland
Several people arrested were from out of state.
Among the survivors involved are a 14-year-old girl who was recovered in northeast Ohio, a 17-year-old missing girl from Cleveland and an adult with developmental disabilities found in central Ohio.
"It affects every neighborhood," said Summit County Sheriff Kandy Fatheree. "When you think about the fact that somebody would drive from Virginia to Ohio to have sex with a 15-year-old girl—it's not going to happen. Not here in Ohio."
Eight task forces from around the state assisted in the operation, as well as five police departments, U.S. Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Ohio Department of Public Safety and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children unit.
