10 'johns' arrested in Warren prostitution sting

WARREN

Saying prostitution is not a “victimless crime,” Warren Police Department, Ohio Attorney General’s office and other officials took another swing at knocking down Warren prostitution Wednesday, arresting 10 “johns” in an online sting operation.

One was the coach of the Austintown Fitch High School girls bowling team. Another was a Canfield attorney. The others came from as far away as Cadiz, 80 miles to the south.

Agents with the attorney general’s office, Warren police and other agencies posed as prostitutes on social media starting at around noon Wednesday, “chatted” with potential customers and invited them to a Warren motel.

It produced a large number of responses from men who arranged meetings for sex and were immediately taken into custody, charged with misdemeanor soliciting for sex.

All were booked into the Trumbull County jail and released an hour or so later, and all pleaded not guilty Thursday morning in Warren Municipal Court. All were released on a personal-recognizance bond, meaning they didn’t have to pay anything.

Read more about the sting in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.