Coventry Township is a community of about 11,000 residents located in Summit County, Ohio, in the Akron metro region. Prostitution and sex trafficking have been well documented in the communities and unincorporated areas of Summit County over the decades, including in Coventry Township. This activity has generated numerous problems leading to complaints and tips to law enforcement from residents and businesses. Among the tactics used to combat these problems are those focusing on reducing consumer-level demand for commercial sex, with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office often collaborating with municipal police departments.

For example, in December 2012,  the Summit County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint regarding prostitution occurring at an office location in Coventry Township. The complainant alleged that men were responding to advertisements for massages and paying women to perform sexual acts. The Summit County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation, and a search warrant was executed at the business located in Coventry Township. Several items were seized including cash and client lists. It was determined that women were giving massages and they subsequently received “tips” for performing sexual acts on men who patronized the business. Their services were advertised under the adult section of known prostitution websites. Four individuals were arrested and charged with prostitution and promoting prostitution. They were transported to the Summit County Jail.

In May 2021, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office arrested 10 men, including a Massillon teacher, in a web-based reverse sting. All the men answered online ads offering sexual services in exchange for cash. The men were charged with engaging in prostitution, a first-degree misdemeanor. Victims encountered during the single-day operation were offered help by RAHAB Ministries and the Rape Crisis Center of Summit and Medina Counties.