Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has a message for Ohioans: “Don’t buy sex in Ohio.”
The Ohio AG announced on Friday, September 13, 2019 that law enforcement officers throughout the state have concluded a large-scale human trafficking sting called Operation 4th and Goal. During a live news conference, Yost explained the 3-day undercover sting operation conducted earlier this week involved more than 30 law enforcement agencies – including those in Columbus, Franklin County, and other jurisdictions.
In total, 104 arrests were made during the operation. Public officials reported the arrests as follows:
- Internet Crimes Against Children – 24 arrests
- Demand Reduction or Buyer’s Sting – 31 arrests
- Supply Reduction Female Out Calls – 17 arrests
- Supply Reduction Involving Street Prostitution – 32 arrests.
In a segment from NBC4, reporters detail the story of one bust – an arrest involving a man who had arrived at a home to meet what he is alleged to have thought was a 14-year-old girl who in reality was undercover law enforcement. Officers throughout the state conducted similar operations.
A number men arrested in the sting were taken into custody under allegations that they attempted to buy sex from minors lured into prostitution. The “buyer’s sting” netted dozens of arrests alone – many for importuning / solicitation, and many in Columbus.
Arrested in a Sting Operation in Columbus? Call Koffel Brininger Nesbitt.
For a free legal consultation, call 614-884-1100
Koffel Brininger Nesbitt has been aware of this covert sting operation, and has spoken and worked with several men arrested by participating law enforcement agencies over the previous week. Though it is an unusual sting in our experience, it was also a very large operation which targeted serious and harshly penalized sex crimes.
As evidenced by the recent publicity and the language used to describe Operation 4th and Goal, law enforcement is extremely aggressive when it comes to conducting investigations and sting operations, and when prosecuting suspects for serious crimes that put considerable prison time on the table. In their overzealousness, it is not uncommon for law enforcement to overstep the rules by which they are bound, violate the Constitutional rights of suspects, and make them victims of entrapment.
Because each case is unique, and because sex crime charges are so aggressively prosecuted in Ohio, it is of the utmost importance that anyone with a recent arrest speak to our legal team at soon as possible so a full investigation can be conducted.
Our firm is available to discuss a range of charges resulting from this operation, including:
- Importuning
- Unlawful Sexual Conduct
- Luring & Prostitution
- Computer Sex Crimes
- Disseminating Matter Harmful to Juveniles
- Pandering / Child Pornography
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Attorney Brad Koffel has more than 25 years of experience helping clients charged with serious crimes fight for their freedoms and futures. Do not wait to speak with an experienced defense attorney about your rights and options. Call (614) 884-1100 or contact us online for a free and confidential consultation.
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