East Liverpool is a city of just under 11,000 residents in southern Columbiana County in the Upper Ohio Valley. Located along the Ohio River, it borders Pennsylvania to the east and West Virginia to the south. Prostitution and child sexual exploitation have been documented in the city and county, resulting in complaints to law enforcement. For example, local men have been arrested in county operations targeting men seeking to sexually abuse children, and some have been found to possess child sexual abuse materials (i.e., child pornography) as well. Drugs and violence have also been connected to the local commercial sex market. For example, in 1988 an East Liverpool woman involved in prostitution was identified as a murder victim whose dismembered body was found in a freezer in Florida.

Among the tactics used to address these problems in the city are those targeting consumers of commercial sex, including the arrest and identity disclosure of sex buyers. For example, in July 2021, a preliminary hearing was set for a man charged with compelling prostitution, tampering with evidence, engaging in prostitution, and possessing criminal tools. The East Liverpool man had been arrested after responding to an online ad and requesting sex with a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old girl, both of whom were foster children runaways. The man offered them $120 for sex and then allegedly attempted to delete the text messages used to set up the transaction in front of police. The man had two previous convictions for prostitution in Florida in 1992 and 1994. His name, age, and home street were released to the press.

Reverse sting operation have also occurred in East Liverpool. For example, in March 2022, an East Liverpool man was charged with engaging in prostitution and possession of criminal tools after allegedly arranging with an undercover officer from the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force to exchange sex for $40. His identity was disclosed to the public. In April 2022, a sex buyer was arrested for engaging in prostitution and criminal tools after responding to an ad placed by an undercover agent with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. The man arranged for sexual activity in exchange for $60. His name and other identifying information were released to the public, and he was fined $750, required to complete 20 hours of community service, and ordered to take a 12-hour course.