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The ringleader of the group, Samuel Lee Edwards, 49, of Columbus, OH, and his associates would use narcotics to manipulate and control their victims, who were threatened and assaulted if they did not comply with demands. The associates assisted with transporting, recruiting and supervising the women, as well as drug trafficking.
Taniece Temple appeared on the show Wednesday for her first on-camera interview since her abuser was sentenced. Temple was only 13 years old when her Toledo, OH pastor, Anthony Haynes, started sexually abusing her and forcing her to have sex with anyone he chose.
Ohio lawmakers proposed a bill to create a public registry that will include the names of people who are convicted of buying sexual services. The bill’s goal is to increase penalties for johns and pimps.
A former Youngstown, OH Police Department dispatcher pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted obstructing justice and was sentenced to 18 months of probation. Elaine Hellman, 72, is the second person to plead guilty in a case involving human trafficking.
Kevin Kishaun Martin, 46, and his girlfriend Lyndzy Michelle Donovan, 35, of Columbus, OH, would prey upon females on the street promising them a better life, lure them into their home or a hotel where they provided the females with drugs, and then demanded that they work the streets to pay back their debt.
Pascal Lamont Williams, 46, of Dayton, OH, is accused along with another man, James “Damean” Rowles, of holding four women against their will for months, forcing them to engage in sex acts on both Williams and Rowles, as well as other people in exchange for drugs or money.
The Well Drop-In Center at the Salvation Army’s location, 2300 W. Mound St. Columbus, OH 43204, will be open Wednesdays and Fridays. It will provide survivors with a safe place, plus food and help finding shelter, along with detox services if needed, said Michelle Hannan, the anti-human-trafficking director at the Salvation Army.
A diversion program for victims of human trafficking is spreading to cities around the country. The model has roots in Columbus, Ohio, where a judge decided to direct women toward rehabilitation instead of jail.
An old post about sex trafficking and black zip ties already once debunked is making the rounds again on social media, but it’s still not true.
More than 100 people in three central Ohio counties have been arrested in a massive human trafficking and internet sex sting. Among those charged include Austin Kosier, a 31-year-old doctor, who worked in the emergency department at Genesis Healthcare System and Christian Gibson, 26, a youth director in training at Redeemer’s at Courtright Church. Both men are charged with two felonies – attempted unlawful conduct with a minor and importuning. Kosier and Gibson are also accused of traveling to meet a 15-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity.
Finding new and innovative ways to combat the demand for purchased sex, raise awareness to this nationwide epidemic, and provide safe environments for victims.
