COLUMBUS, Ohio — A massive, weeklong law enforcement crackdown targeting human trafficking across Ohio has resulted in the arrests of 122 individuals seeking to buy sex—including several targeting minors—with regional task forces surrounding the Lancaster area playing a vital role in the sweep.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the results of “Operation Spring Cleaning,” a multi-agency blitz that took place between May 13 and May 20, 2026. The operation spanned 15 counties, blanketing urban centers, suburban communities, and rural regions.
“This operation brings us to 1,065 arrests since our statewide stings began in 2019,” Attorney General 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.”
The Operation by the Numbers
Led by Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC), dozens of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies collaborated to dismantle trafficking rings and suppress the demand for commercial sex.
- 122 Total Arrests: 38 individuals face felony charges, including promoting prostitution, compelling prostitution, trafficking in persons, and felony drug offenses.
- 84 “Johns” Nabbed: Dozens of sex buyers were caught and charged with engaging in prostitution or solicitation.
- 15 Search Warrants Executed: Raids focused on illicit massage parlors in Akron, Columbus, Dublin, Grafton, Powell, Toledo, and Willoughby, resulting in the seizure of more than $120,000 in cash.
- 42 Survivors Rescued: Law enforcement successfully identified 42 human trafficking survivors, immediately referring them to healthcare and social-services organizations for support.
Regional Impact: Securing the Lancaster and Central/Southeast Corridors
While major metropolitan areas saw high-profile raids on massage parlors and felony indictments, the wide-reaching operation relied heavily on a web of interconnected regional task forces to choke off trafficking corridors.
Communities like Lancaster sit at the vital crossroads of these efforts. To prevent illicit networks from shifting their operations out of major cities and into neighboring suburban and rural areas, regional coalitions worked concurrently during the weeklong blitz:
- Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force: Focused heavily on the immediate Columbus metro area just north of Lancaster, executing warrants at four suspected illicit massage parlors—including spas in Dublin, Columbus, and Powell—and arresting a Columbus man for money laundering and promoting prostitution.
- Southeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force: Led by the Noble County Sheriff’s Office alongside agencies in Athens, Washington, and Monroe counties, this coalition secured the southeastern corridor, ensuring trafficking rings had no safe haven in the region.
- Southern Ohio Organized and Major Crimes Task Force: Agencies in Scioto and Pike counties further reinforced the perimeter, creating a unified front across the central and southern parts of the state.
Disturbing Highlights Across Ohio
The statewide sting uncovered several egregious cases involving crimes against children, as well as high-profile suspects:
- Northeast Ohio: Authorities arrested Dustin Crowder, 41, and Jeffrey Murphy, 53, who both allegedly arranged to travel to a location believing they were meeting minors for sex. In a separate case uncovered during the sting, Michael Pavlov, 29, of Newton Falls, was arrested and charged with rape and endangering children involving a 6-year-old victim.
- First Responders Arrested: The Northeast Ohio Task Force also arrested Jason Petrov, 57, an active Cleveland firefighter, and Patrick Moner, 63, a retired Cleveland firefighter. Both were charged with engaging in prostitution.
- Mahoning Valley: Five men from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia were arrested and charged with attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
A Growing Statewide Effort
Since initiating these large-scale stings in 2019, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office has expanded its tactical footprint. What began as localized, small-scale operations has evolved into multi-jurisdictional blitzes leveraging more than 100 law enforcement agencies.
Previous operations, such as Operation Autumn Hope in 2020 and Operation Buyer’s Remorse in 2023, have systematically rescued hundreds of survivors and recovered dozens of missing children statewide.
If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, help is available. Contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text “HELP” or “INFO” to 233733.
