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A Hermitage man was among those arrested in an anti-human trafficking operation carried out in Ohio.
Nathan Lucas, 37, of Hermitage, is facing charges of attempted rape, compelling prostitution and possession of criminal tools, according to Steve Irwin, press secretary for the Office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
Lucas was charged by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office and has a preliminary hearing scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 20, before Judge Molly K. Johnson, according to the Mahoning County Clerk of Courts.
The charges stem from an arrest that was made as part of Operation Autumn Hope, an anti-human-trafficking operation involving more than 50 law enforcement agencies and non-government partners across Ohio, according to a press release.
The four priorities of the operation were rescuing victims of human trafficking and referring them to social services, recovering missing and exploited children, apprehending those seeking to have sex with a minor, and arresting male johns seeking to buy sex, the release states.
The operation resulted in 76 missing and exploited children cases cleared, with 22 people apprehended by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. There were a further 157 men arrested in Cuyahoga, Franklin and Lucas counties, the release states.
A second Pennsylvania man was among those arrested. Pastor Jarod Mills, 33, of New Castle, is charged with importuning, disseminating matter harmful to juvenile, attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and possession of criminal tools, Irwin said.
Like David L. Dye on Facebook or email him at ddye@sharonherald.com.
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