Aberdeen is a village of about 1,600 residents, located along Ohio’s southern border near Maysville, Kentucky.  The village has reported cases of both prostitution and domestic minor sex trafficking in recent years.  Police responses to these problems are driven in part by complaints from residents.

The Aberdeen Police Department has adopted several demand-driven tactics to deter sex buyers. While not traditional reverse stings using female decoys to lure potential sex buyers, these arrests were the result of proactive efforts on the part of police to apprehend and deter buyers. In December 2013 and January 2014, Aberdeen police made two arrests for solicitation of prostitution, following an investigation of complaints of alleged prostitution activity.  The first arrest occurred when the suspect allegedly met a female in the village with the intention to pay for sex. He pled guilty in Brown County Municipal Court to a charge of soliciting prostitution, and was sentenced to one year of probation and 40 hours of community service. The second man was arrested under similar circumstances, when he came to Aberdeen to meet a female to pay for sex.  He was charged with solicitation prostitution, and the case was sent to the Brown County Prosecutors office for consideration and a scheduled appearance in Brown County Municipal Court.  A form of SOAP order was imposed when county officials sought to ban anyone convicted of the crimes from entering or being on the property of establishments where the crimes were committed.  Because the Aberdeen crimes were allegedly committed in vehicles, the vehicles were impounded, and could be retrieved with proof of insurance, and payment of towing and storage costs.