Hocking County Sheriff Lanny E. North reports that, over the weekend, his Office, with the assistance of the Southeastern Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, conducted a joint Human Trafficking Operation, by means of a prostitution sting, in the Hocking Hills area.
Several individuals from around Ohio, and across the country, responded to online ads to meet women and children to pay to engage in various sexual acts with them.
Law enforcement agencies across the country conduct these types of operations not only to reduce crimes committed against children and women, but to also raise awareness about human trafficking.
Many individuals are confused on what human trafficking really is, it is not simply individuals of foreign descent being smuggled into other countries for slave labor or sex trafficking; many victims are local children and women. These crimes don’t just occur in big cities or in other states, they happen within our local communities as well.
The operation resulted in the following arrests:
Kyle Crowe, 22 of Chillicothe, was arrested and charged with Engaging in Prostitution, a 1st Degree Misdemeanor.
Wayne D. Horsley, 52 of Athens, was arrested and charged with Engaging in Prostitution, a 1st Degree Misdemeanor.
A 17-year-old juvenile, was charged with being delinquent, by Engaging in Prostitution, a 1st Degree Misdemeanor.
Erick M. Wrestler, 50 of Logan, was arrested and charged with Engaging in Prostitution, a 1st Degree Misdemeanor.
Stewart Rebell, 49 of Ware, Massachusetts, was arrested on a warrant for Importuning, a 4th Degree Felony. The warrant was issued by Task Force Agents for Rebell, who is a registered sex offender, and had previous convictions for juvenile sex offenses, including multiple charges of rape of a child, by force or with threat of murder.
Rebell planned to meet awith investigators whoe were posing as a fifteen-year-old female in Ohio and then take that child with him out of state. Rebell was located and arrested by Massachusetts State Police for the warrant and will be extradited to Ohio.
Hocking County Sheriff Lanny E. North, stated “I want to thank the Southeastern Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, the FBI, and the Massachusetts State Police for helping to conduct this operation. Due to the response we received from individuals across the county, we anticipate on conducting additional human trafficking operations in the future.”
The Southeastern Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force is led by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and includes the Marietta City Police Department, Marietta College Police Department, Washington County Prosecutor’s Office, Noble County Sheriff’s Office, Noble County Prosecutor’s Office, Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, Morgan County Prosecutor’s Office, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office, Athens County Sheriff’s Office, Athens Police Department, Athens County Prosecutor’s Office, Meigs County Sheriff’s Office and the Meigs County Prosecutor’s Office.
