YOUNGSTOWN — Agents with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force joined law enforcement from across Ohio this month in targeting those whose actions result in human trafficking, according to the task force.

Operation Spring Cleaning involved 30 law enforcement initiatives in various areas of the state and was organized through Attorney General Dave Yost’s Organized Crime Investigations Commission.

In the Mahoning Valley, the initiative took aim at suspects seeking to have sex with minors. The local investigations helped expose those using social media and other applications to recruit and then victimize juveniles, the release states.

Between May 14 and Saturday, 11 men from around Northeast Ohio, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, as well as one from North Carolina, were arrested and have since entered initial appearances in Mahoning County Area Court.

All face multiple felony charges, including importuning (the solicitation of adolescents), attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and compelling prostitution.

Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene, whose office oversees the three-county Human Trafficking Task Force, stated, “This weekend’s statewide human trafficking operation, Spring Cleaning, is my office’s ongoing commitment to stop the solicitation of children for sexual purposes.”

He added, “My office has taken part in a number of these efforts over the years. And as long as predators are using the dark chatrooms of the internet in the hopes of having sex with underage children, we want them to know we may be the ones they’re talking with — and hopefully we will be.”

The following are the 11 men charged:

• Anthony Balista, Niles, importuning / soliciting an adolescent, possession of criminal tools

• Eric Galiano, Weirton, W.Va., importuning / soliciting an adolescent, attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, possession of criminal tools

• Phil Kreuzwieser, North Canton, encouraging another to engage in sexual activity, attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, compelling prostitution, possession of criminal tools

• Tim Tolson, compelling prostitution, corrupting another with drugs, possession of criminal tools

• Larry Hitchings, Barberton, compelling prostitution, attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, possession of criminal tools

• Timothy Powell, Canton, compelling prostitution, attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, possession of criminal tools

• Chad Stover, North Canton, attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, importuning / soliciting an adolescent, possession of criminal tools

• Raul Martinez, Kannapolis, North Carolina, importuning / soliciting an adolescent, attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, possession of criminal tools

• Christopher Crawford, Hilliards, Pa. (Butler County), compelling prostitution, attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, possession of criminal tools

• Jeffrey Villanueva, Niles, importuning / soliciting an adolescent, attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, possession of criminal tools

• Jeff Anders, Boardman, importuning / soliciting an adolescent, possession of criminal tools

Several other people were also arrested last week during Operation Spring Cleaning on engaging in prostitution and other offenses, the news release states.

STATEWIDE

Across the state, 122 people were arrested for seeking to buy sex — including from minors, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced in a separate news release.

“This operation brings us to 1,065 arrests since our statewide stings began in 2019,” Yost said. “It shows the problem isn’t going away, but perpetrators are getting increasingly skittish as our message reverberates — Don’t buy sex in Ohio.”

Operation Spring Cleaning took place May 13-20 in 15 counties, including urban centers, suburban communities and rural areas throughout the state, the release states.