After sting, Fairfield sheriff warns ‘Don’t buy sex’
LANCASTER, Ohio (WCMH) – Seventeen men are accused after an undercover prostitution sting in Fairfield County. The sheriff now has a message for the community, don’t buy sex in Ohio.
“I’m not in the business of making folks happy,” Fairfield County Sheriff Alex Lape said. “If I was doing that, I’d be selling ice cream.”
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Lape said the sting was a multi-day operation. He said it started with an online ad. Respondents chat with people they don’t realize are in on the sting and eventually decide on a meeting place– in this case, rooms at local hotels.
“They show up and they have money in hand and ready to facilitate this deal, if you want to call it that and at that point in time, that’s when they get taken into custody, and here we are,” Lape said.
The stings happened over the last two Fridays. The men charged range in age from 18 to 68.
According to documents from the sheriff’s office, the sting took place at the Hampton Inn in Lancaster, with suspects requesting services ranging in price from anywhere between $40 and $200.
All suspects were charged with engaging in prostitution, a first-degree misdemeanor.
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Two of the men charged have careers where they are around young people or young adults.
According to a sheriff’s press release, a professor at Columbus State Community College was charged. His name is still listed on the school’s website, with a spokesperson said the school is actively investigating since learning of the charges.
Another of the men arrested is a pediatric dentist in Chillicothe. Attempts to contact his practice were unanswered. Instead, callers heard the message, “The number you dialed has been changed, disconnected or is no longer in service.”
The Ohio State Dental Board did confirm the doctor’s dental license is still active.
Lape said the sting proves anyone can be involved in this activity.
“It kind of takes the veil off of the issue and it shows you that this is a broad problem that doesn’t affect the people that, I think, society would say that person’s probably, well, you know, it could be somebody that just looks like a normal citizen,” Lape said.
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The sheriff said he’s happy to spread awareness about a bigger issue.
“The broad message is don’t buy sex,” Lape said. “I mean, it’s you know, this is the reason why it’s a broader problem. It feeds right into human trafficking.”
Lape said some of these men will be able to experience counseling to have the opportunity to change their behavior. He said people can expect to see more operations like this in the future.
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