Gallia County is located in the southeastern corner of Ohio, on the border of West Virginia. The area has a population of around 29,000 residents and is known for its assortment of villages, including Gallipolis, which currently serves as the county seat. In addition to sharing the eastern border with West Virginia, the county also borders the Ohio River on the east and has a part of the Wayne National Forest lying within its perimeter. Gallia County has implemented a campaign to educate and raise awareness about human trafficking in the county and how it might look different in rural areas than in big cities.

To our knowledge, not much has been done to address the consumer-level demand that drives all prostitution and sex trafficking, but the county has conducted at least on reverse sting operation. In July 2020, “Operation Predator” led to the arrest of eight men, all of whom were trying to solicit a minor for sex. All of the men faced charges of compelling prostitution and importuning. In addition to releasing their charges, the sex buyers’ mugshots and names were also released to the public.