208 Suspected Human Trafficking Victims In Ohio In 2017

WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, OH — In September 2017, a judge sentenced a Warrensville Heights man to 18 years in prison for recruiting girls — as young as 15 — into a prostitution ring. The man used social media to contact and lure the girls. Two juveniles were rescued during the police investigation into the ring.

That's just one of Ohio's many human trafficking stories from last year and there were many more. There were 208 suspected victims of human trafficking found in Ohio in 2017, according to a new report from the Ohio Attorney General's Office. More than 90 percent of the victims were women.

The Attorney General's Office also determined youth who may be at-risk for becoming trafficking victims. Using data on runaway children, who are at a higher risk of being trafficked, 146 youth were identified and their names were handed over to local law enforcement.

"I'm proud of the work we do to protect and serve the victims of this heinous crime. By using our resources and working together, we're able to approach this issue from many perspectives," said Attorney General Mike DeWine. "We will continue to build on this progress in 2018 as we fight the criminals who seek to exploit our children and others for their own illicit gain."

Several factors can lead to someone becoming a victim of human trafficking. Most commonly there are two main contributors: chemical dependency and running away. About 100 suspected human trafficking victims were found to be chemically dependent in some way, while about 45 others were run aways.

The Traffickers

Law enforcement didn't just identify victims of human trafficking, they also caught the traffickers and the consumers. Last year, 221 suspected traffickers were arrested in Ohio.

The vast majority of traffickers were men, 178 suspects. Additionally, 211 of the suspects were sex traffickers, while 10 suspects were labor traffickers.

Police also arrested 257 suspected consumers of human trafficking. The majority of the suspects were men, 194, and the majority were engaging in sex trafficking, 183 suspects. About 75 suspects were engaged in labor trafficking.

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