Man arrested in sex sting pleads guilty

By Joe Gorman | October 12, 2018 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

One of 10 men arrested in February during an underage sex sting entered guilty pleas Thursday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Dallas Runner, 38, of Niles, pleaded guilty before Judge Anthony D’Apolito to charges of importuning, unlawful attempted sexual contact with a minor and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.

Prosecutors are recommending a two-year prison sentence, but defense attorneys will be arguing for a lesser sentence, said assistant Prosecutor Steve Yacovone.

Sentencing is set for Nov. 15.

Yacovone said Runner was chatting online Feb. 27 with an Austintown police officer who was posing as a 15-year-old girl as part of a multiagency investigation with the Mahoning County Human Trafficking Task Force.

Runner sent three obscene pictures to the officer he was chatting with and went to meet the person he thought was a girl, which was when he was arrested.

Also taking part in the sting was the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, county prosecutor’s office, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Investigative Unit, Adult Parole Authority, Warren City Police Department and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.