Demand Forum: Resources for the Prevention of Prostitution and Sex Trafficking

Demand Forum

Resources for the Prevention of Prostitution and Sex Trafficking

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  • October 20, 2018
  • Michael Shively

Defiance, 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 ✓
Defiance is a city of approximately 17,000 residents, located in northwestern Ohio, about midway between Toledo OH and Fort Wayne, IN. Prostitution and sex trafficking activity have been well-documented in the city and surrounding communities.In 2008, a Defiance County Township trustee was found guilty on a prostitution-related charge following a jury trial. The man had been arrested during a Fulton County sex sting in Wauseon. In 2018, the sex offender registry for Defiance listed a man who had been convicted of compelling prostitution (i.e., sex trafficking) and qualified as a habitual sex offenders. The Northwest Ohio Rescue and Restore Coalition has a Defiance County Chapter to respond to local and regional issues associated with human trafficking.  
Consumer level demand provides the revenue stream for all prostitution and sex trafficking, and has therefore been targeted by local law enforcement agencies as a strategy for prevention and response.  n October 2018, seven people were arrested in prostitution sting occurring in one undisclosed location in Defiance. The Defiance Police Department, FBI’s Violent Crimes against Children Task Force, the Defiance County Sheriff’s Office, and the Defiance County Prosecutor’s Office conducted the operation to deter sex trafficking in the city. Defiance police officers and sheriff’s deputies charged six men with solicitation, and a seventh person (a woman) with felony level promoting prostitution. The identities of the arrested individuals were publicly disclosed by police.  Those arrested come from Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa.

 

Key Partners

  • Defiance Police Department
  • Defiance County Sheriff’s Office
  • Defiance County Prosecutor’s Office
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation
    • Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force

Key Sources

Reverse Sting, Shaming:

  • https://www.northwestsignal.net/news/article (2018)
  • https://www.toledoblade.com/local/police-fire/2018/10/19/sting-nets-solicitation-prostitution-charges-in-defiance (2018)
  • https://www.13abc.com/content/news/Human-and-sex-trafficking-investigation-nets-7-arrests-in-Defiance- (2018)
  • https://www.wthr.com/article/2-indiana-residents-among-7-arrested-human-trafficking-sting (2018)
  • http://www.wtol.com/2018/10/19/arrested-defiance-human-trafficking-investigation/ (2018)
  • https://www.crescent-news.com/on_the_wire/editors_pick/seven-arrested-in-joint-human-trafficking-operation-in-defiance (2018)
  • https://www.bryantimes.com/news/local/seven-arrested-in-human-trafficking-sting/ (2018)
  • http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20181019/WEB/181019793 (2018)
  • https://www.wane.com/news/local-news/7-jailed-in-human-trafficking-takedown/1535849864 (2018)
  • https://1031wndh.iheart.com/content/2018-10-19-human-trafficking-investigation-in-defiance-arrest/ (2018)
  • https://www.wowo.com/seven-arrested-in-human-trafficking-violation-two-from-fort-wayne/ (2018)

Background on Local Prostitution and Sex Trafficking:

  • http://ablelaw.org/northwest-ohio-new-battlefield-for-human-trafficking (2013)
  • http://www.city-data.com/so/Sex Offender Registry Defiance-Ohio.html (2018)
  • https://www.desmoinesregister.com/human-trafficking-iowa-massage-parlor-pimp-sex-crime-craigslist-prostitution (2019)
State Ohio
Type City
Population 16687
Location
← Saratoga County, NY
Clyman, WI →
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National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)

Demand Forum is powered by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) and directed by Dr. Michael Shively, NCOSE's Senior Advisor on Research and Data Analysis. It was originally developed by Dr. Shively and Abt Associates with grant support from the National Institute of Justice. In January 2020 the website transferred to NCOSE.