WARREN, Ohio — Eight men who were trying to purchase sex over the internet were arrested and charged in a human trafficking sting in Trumbull County, according to a news release from the office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
Trumbull County Sheriff Paul Monroe said a few months ago, his office received a crime tip about an illegal prostitution operation taking place in Trumbull County.
“We reached out to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, which assisted in planning this operation. This operation was conducted to show those people who participate in this type of activity that they are not welcome in Trumbull County. The Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all of the agencies who participated in this operation. This was a true team effort," Monroe said.
Over the course of one day, multiple law enforcement agencies arrested eight people seeking to buy sex via the internet.
The following individuals were arrested and charged with solicitation and possessing criminal tools:
- Shane Shilling, 43, Warren
- Darryl Juillerat, 33, Kinsman
- Paul Arthur, 41, Columbiana
- Dustin Estep, 28, Struthers
- William Messer, 62, Wayland (Portage County)
- Walter Allen, 28, Youngstown
- Thomas Vescera, 59, Hermitage, PA
- Robert Banks, 59, Jefferson (Ashtabula County)
"These guys didn’t know if they were dealing with a willing participant or someone under the control of a pimp’s drugs and influence – and they certainly didn’t know they were about to meet our task force officers,” Yost said. “My advice – don’t buy sex in Ohio.”
