Human trafficking in Ohio, a problem closer than you think

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ohio (WTRF) – Over the past decade, nearly 1,800 people in Ohio have been identified as possible human trafficking victims.

A sting last week in Steubenville yielded eight arrests, which prompted Nexstar’s WTRF to look deeper into the topic.

With a network of highways, rail lines, and rivers that connect much of the Midwest, Ohio has become more than a corridor it’s a crossroads. The state sits within a day’s drive of half the U.S. population, making it a key route traffickers use to move people and money.

WTRF spoke with those on the frontlines of this crisis in the region.

Investigators say what happened in Steubenville is part of something much bigger, a problem that hides in plain sight across the region.

“I did see the sting, and I found it encouraging. It is very prevalent, and I think the biggest misnomer is people simply don’t understand what sex trafficking actually is and what it looks like,” said Molly McGovern, founder of The Friendship Room.

From 2013 to 2022, law enforcement in Ohio identified more than 1,700 potential victims and over 1,300 suspected traffickers.

In 2024 alone, 117 more potential victims were reported statewide.

But advocates say numbers only show a fraction of what’s really happening.

“I know for myself, I used to think it’s just like young children in Thailand or an East Asian country. We don’t understand the mental control that people take over other people. And by the way, this is not just a woman issue. We are seeing a progressively more and more young men being brought into this world as well,” McGovern said.

Police say that misunderstanding is one reason operations like the Steubenville sting are so critical, as they help uncover victims who might otherwise stay invisible.

“You hear, cartels human trafficking people – it’s not just cartels – people, regular people here can human traffic other people here as well,” said Joe Buchmelter, operations captain for the Steubenville Police Department

Buchmelter says trafficking doesn’t always look like what people expect, and it often starts close to home.

“There’s vulnerable portions of our society, especially children, so you know we want to reach out and make sure that we address and try and stop that at all costs,” Buchmelter said.

McGovern says many victims are lured in through relationships or addiction and then trapped by control, manipulation, or fear.

For many victims, what starts as survival quickly turns into something they can’t escape.

And when asked if she would consider this a type of modern-day slavery, McGovern responded, “Oh, absolutely! I mean, people are being held against their will, and then once somebody becomes dependent on drugs, they have no other option except to continue in the sex industry.”

McGovern says what most people think of as prostitution is often anything but voluntary.

“So, I think a lot of people often don’t understand that what they’re seeing in prostitution is rarely just simply prostitution. And I’m only speaking for our part of the community. I have yet to meet somebody who works in prostitution who is doing it with free will, and that’s after 12 years street level,” McGovern said.

Officer Buchmelter agrees — saying the goal of these undercover stings isn’t just to make arrests, but to identify and reach potential victims.

“We’re targeting it all. Because all of it is a crime. And you don’t know, you don’t know if somebody’s being trafficked or not. You know you don’t know if they’re engaging in prostitution voluntarily or not. And if you don’t engage and you don’t conduct these types of operations and be proactive, you never will know,” said Buchmelter.

Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla Jr. says protecting potential victims especially minors take a unified effort.

“I do think that’s a terrible problem, especially any sick pervert who wants to take advantage of our children in this county. They need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent,” Abdalla said. “And we need to do everything that we can to get them off the street. I applaud Steubenville PD and the agencies that worked with them to pull that operation off. They really did a good job.”

Ohio remains one of the top ten states for calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, which serves as a reminder that this issue isn’t just confined to big cities or faraway places.

Staying aware and reporting what you see can make the difference for someone who can’t speak up.

If you suspect trafficking, you can call or text the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.