Dayton, OH
Categories:
Tactics Used |
|
---|---|
Reverse stings | ✓ |
Shaming | ✓ |
Auto seizure | ✓ |
Community service | ✓ |
Public education | ✓ |
Neighborhood action | ✓ |
SOAP orders | ✓ |
John school | ✓ |
Letters | ✓ |
Cameras | ✓ |
Web stings | ✓ |
License suspension | ✓ |
Dayton is a city of approximately 140,000 residents, located 50 miles north of Cincinnati in Montgomery County, Ohio. Numerous problems associated with the local commercial sex market have been documented in the city, including targeted homicides of sex sellers and individuals arrested for selling sex while HIV-positive.
In response to chronic prostitution activity in the city, and the numerous health and safety problems it generates, the Dayton Police Department has pursued an aggressive and comprehensive strategy to identify and arrest sex buyers. Officers began conducting street-level reverse stings in 1989; operations are now routinely conducted, often using one or more undercover female officers as decoys. As men attempt to solicit sex from the women, they are apprehended by a backup team. Once arrested, johns frequently have their names released to the media. Recent examples include a web-based operation conducted in December 2017. An ad was placed online and a detective posed as a prostitute in arranging meetings to exchange sex for money. Arrests were made at the meetup location when the buyers arrived and continued arranging for the commercial sex exchange. The Dayton Police Street Crimes Unit said the internet sting led to the arrest of 14 men; police also seized 13 cars and 13 cell phones. Prosecutors charged the suspects with soliciting, use of criminal tools and some people are facing minor drug charges. Detectives said their 3-day stings usually lead to the arrest of more than 10 people.
In a July 2018 feature in the Dayton Daily News, it was reported that Dayton police have continued to focus on the demand for commercial sex, arresting 83 men in 2016, 150 men in 2017, and 86 during the first six months of 2018. The Dayton Daily News examined about 200 cases to try to learn more about the local men who purchase sex acts. Among the noteworthy findings was that a significant number of commercial sex customers were senior citizens that were decades older than the people they solicit. The median age of the suspects was 46 years old. First-time offenders most commonly are given probation, tested for HIV and are ordered to attend Johns school where they are taught about the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases, health education, the negative community impact of commercial sex activities, and the legal consequences of solicitation and human trafficking.
Shaming is also a tactic used in Daytona. In 1993, the DPD took out an advertisement in a local paper on Valentine’s Day listing the names and identities of men recently arrested in a john sweep. Photos and identifiers of arrested johns are routinely release to news outlets. To further deter sex buyers, Dayton police have also at times sent letters to the homes of individuals whose cars are seen idling in areas known for commercial sex sales. In January 2019, the city of Dayton announced an initiative called “Buyer’s Remorse” designed to modernize its approach to combating prostitution and sex trafficking. It will make the information on anyone caught buying sex in Dayton “very” public, with the identities of convicted sex buyers included in social media ads that are geo-targeted to the offenders’ locations; their their names and addresses will added to a map on www.buyersremorsecampaign.com. The names and addresses of people convicted of selling sex will not be published though.
In June 2008, city law enforcement partnered with the Dayton Municipal Court’s Adult Probation Department to create a john school. Enrollment is limited to first-time offenders, and all participants must pay a $250 enrollment fee. Once accepted into the program, johns must attend a day-long course that includes presentations from probation officers, city prosecutors, and public health officials. Between 2008 and 2010, 139 men completed the course, and only two are known to have subsequently re-offended.
Key Partners
- Dayton Police Department
- Dayton Municipal Court – Adult Probation Department
Key Sources
- National Assessment and Interviews
- John School:
- “‘John School’ Designed to Cut down on Prostitution; Men Arrested for Solicitation Would Learn about Health Risks and Other Consequences”, Dayton Daily News, June 19 2008.
- “Men Get a Lesson on the Dangers of Prostitutes”, Dayton Daily News, February 28 2010.
- “Looking to Buy Sex? Welcome to John School”, Dayton Daily News, March 1 2010.
- “Former PAC Director Pleads Guilty to Solicitation”, Dayton Daily News, June 11 2014.
- “Ex-PAC Director Pleads Guilty; Former Clark Staffer Arrested in Prostitution Sting”, Dayton Daily News, June 12 2014.
- “Prostitution Sting Snags Pastor, WPAFB Officer; Dayton Police Arrest 30; Crackdown in Conjunction with March Madness,” CBS/WHIO-TV 7, March 20 2015.
- https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/crime–law/buying-sex-dayton-prostitution-related-offenses-rise (2018)
- Street-Level Reverse Stings with Shaming:
- “Hooker Stings Nabs 21 Men”, Dayton Daily News, October 17 1992.
- “Decoy Sets Record for Most Arrests”, Dayton Daily News, August 10 1994.
- “In Brief”, Dayton Daily News, October 6 1995.
- “Vice Cops Play Role on Streets”, Dayton Daily News, November 22 2003.
- “Police: Prostitution Major Problem in Dayton”, CBS/WHIO-TV 7, July 1 2011.
- “Cops Focusing More on ‘Johns’ in Prostitution Busts”, Dayton Daily News, August 21 2012.
- “Dayton Police Stings Targeting ‘Johns’; Emphasis Shifts from Prostitutes to Men who Pay for Sex”, Dayton Daily News, August 22 2012.
- “Dayton Prostitution Sting Nets Two Arrests”, CBS/WHIO-TV 7, September 26 2013.
- “Getting to the Root of the Prostitution Problem”, NBC/WDTN-TV 2, February 4 2014.
- “Johns Week Nets 28 Arrests; 1 Suspect in Prostitution Sweep Faces Charge of Human Trafficking”, Dayton Daily News, February 8 2014.
- https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/crime–law/buying-sex-dayton-prostitution-related-offenses-rise (2018)
- Web-Based Reverse Stings with Shaming:
- “Sex Sting Nets Former Police Officer”, NBC/WDTN-TV 2, March 1 2010.
- “Lima Minister Arrested in Sex Sting in Dayton”, Dayton Daily News, December 13 2010.
- “Prostitutes Use Web to Lure Clients, Evade Police; Cops Are Online Too, and Setting Up Stings”, Dayton Daily News, December 27 2010.
- “Latest Internet Sex Sting a Success; Detectives Used Decoy to Nab 8 Charged with Seeking Prostitution”, Dayton Daily News, February 7 2012.
- “Men Arrested in Online Prostitution Sting”, Dayton Daily News, April 19 2012.
- “Man Caught in Prostitution Sting Claims to Be Pastor”, CBS/WHIO-TV 7, January 28 2013.
- “Dayton Detectives Arrest 2 in Online Sex Sting”, NBC/WDTN-TV 2, July 9 2013.
- “Undercover Cop Busts Man Soliciting Sex”, Dayton Daily News, January 11 2014.
- “Clark State Executive Arrested in Dayton; Arts Center Chief Charged in Prostitution Sting”, Dayton Daily News, March 26 2014.
- “Former PAC Director Pleads Guilty to Solicitation”, Dayton Daily News, June 11 2014.
- “Sex Sting Nets Wright-Patt Officer, CSU Professor”, CBS/WHIO-TV 7, August 4 2014.
- “Prostitution Sting Nets 23; Air Force Officer, Professor among Those Facing Charges”, Dayton Daily News, August 5 2014.
- “Prostitution Sting Snags Pastor, WPAFB Officer; Dayton Police Arrest 30; Crackdown in Conjunction with March Madness,” CBS/WHIO-TV 7, March 20 2015.
- “Prostitution Sting Nets 8 Including Sex Trafficker,” NBC/WDTN-TV 2, November 19 2015.
- “Online Dayton prostitution sting leads to arrest of 14 men.” December 15, 2017.
- https://www.whio.com/news/crime–law/man-caught-prostitution-sting-claims-pastor/ (2018)
- Shaming:
- “Dayton to Air Names of Prostitute Patrons”, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10 1993.
- “Names Ad Makes Lovers Mad”, Dayton Daily News, February 14 1993.
- https://www.whio.com/news/local/dayton-announces-initiative-combat-prostitution (2019)
- https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/convicted-buying-sex-dayton-will-tell-your-neighbors-via-facebook (2019)
- Auto Seizure:
- Letters:
- https://www.whio.com/news/suspected-prostitution-draws-warning-letters-from-dayton-police (2017)
- https://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/crime–law/dear-johns-dayton-police-warn-suspected-prostitution-customers (2017)
- https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/ohio/articles/2017-09-09/ohio-city-fights-prostitution-with-letters-to-vehicle-owners (2017)
- Proposed SOAP Orders:
- “Dayton May Crack down on Sex Trade, Ordinance Would Designate No-Prostitution Zones and Tougher Penalties on Johns”, Dayton Daily News, October 6 2007.
- “Dayton Tries New Ways to Fight Prostitution; Officials Consider No-Prostitution Zones, John Schools to Combat Pervasive Problem”, Dayton Daily News, October 14 2007.
- “City Postpones Vote on ‘No Prostitution’ Zones; Residents’ Opinions Sought on Whether Signs Would Curb Soliciting in City’s Neighborhoods”, Dayton Daily News, October 24 2007.
- Sex Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation in the Area:
- “Dayton Man Accused of Human Trafficking”, Dayton Daily News, August 28 2012.
- “Activists Targeting Human Trafficking; Group Focuses on Teen Prostitution in Dayton Area”, Dayton Daily News, December 6 2012.
- “Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking”, U.S. Federal News Service, August 10 2013.
- “Getting to the Root of the Prostitution Problem”, NBC/WDTN-TV 2, February 4 2014.
- “Man Pleads Not Guilty in Federal Sex Trafficking Case,” Dayton Daily News, March 3 2015.
- “Prostitution Sting Nets 8 Including Sex Trafficker,” NBC/WDTN-TV 2, November 19 2015.
- Background on Prostitution in the Area:
- “Ruling Cuts Hooker Arrests”, Dayton Daily News, December 9 1993.
- “Former Dayton Police Sergeant Arrested on Prostitution Charge”, Dayton Daily News, August 2 2002.
- “New Nuisance Ordinance Empowers Neighborhoods; Police Can Seize Sites of Ongoing Drug Activity, Prostitution or Gambling and Board Them up for a Year”, Dayton Daily News, February 18 2007.
- “Call Girls’ Rehab Eyed; Dayton Police Think a Safe House Might Work Better than Jail in Deterring Prostitution”, Dayton Daily News, March 14 2009.
- “Dayton Police: 41 Prostitutes HIV Positive”, Dayton Daily News, March 27 2009.
- “Dayton Proposes New Prostitution Crackdown Law”, NBC/WISE-TV 18, June 18 2010.
- “Convicted HIV-Positive Prostitute Arrested Again”, Dayton Daily News, May 19 2011.
- “Police Can’t Fix Chronic Prostitution”, Dayton Daily News, July 2 2011.
- “Repeated Arrests Don’t Stop Prostitutes”, Dayton Daily News, July 2 2011.
- “Repeat Arrests Drive up Public Costs; Women, in and out of Jail Since 2006, Have Cost Taxpayers $100K or More”, Dayton Daily News, July 3 2011.
- “Really Prostitution Ring, Say; They Allege Dayton Man Was Pimp for as Many as 35 Women”, Dayton Daily News, July 6 2012.
- “‘Internet Pimp’ Was Tripped up in Sting; Dayton Man Found Guilty of Promoting Prostitution”, Dayton Daily News, March 8 2013.
- “Man Sentenced to Prison for Promoting Prostitution”, CBS/WHIO-TV 7, April 3 2013.
- “Innovative Anti-Prostitution Program Discussed”, NBC/WDTN-TV 2, June 12 2013.
- “Dayton Police Zero in on Prostitution Problem”, CBS/WHIO-TV 7, August 12 2013.
- “Police Arrest 10 Women in Sex Sting; Officers Say Effort Designed to Help Rather than Punish”, Dayton Daily News, October 11 2011.
- “Partnership Looks to Get Prostitutes off Dayton Streets”, NBC/WDTN-TV 2, October 16 2014.
- “HIV-Positive Woman Held after 2nd Prostitution Arrest,” CBS/WHIO-TV 7, March 17 2015.
- “Prostitution Sting Nets 8,” NBC/WDTN-TV 2, March 16 2016.
- https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/crime–law/buying-sex-dayton-prostitution-related-offenses-rise (2018)
- Documented Violence against Individuals Engaged in Prostitution in the Area:
- “Ex-Trotwood Officer Indicted for Murder Found Dead in Alabama”, Springfield News-Sun, February 4 2010.
- “Overlooked Evidence Led to Ex-Trotwood Officer”, Dayton Daily News, February 20 2010.
- “Suspect’s Suicide Leaves Questions Unanswered in Slayings of 2 Women”, Dayton Daily News, February 22 2010.
- “Former Officer Killed Self after Ohio Indictment”, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, February 27 2010.
State | Ohio |
Type | City |
Population | 155461 |
Location |
Comments are closed.