06/28/2024
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney Dave Yost today praised the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force as a model of commitment and consistency, crediting the group for the recent conviction and sentencing of two child pornographers and multiple arrests this month of would-be s*x buyers.
"Sheriff Jerry Greene’s task force is the tip of the spear when it comes to fighting the perversion that fuels human trafficking,” Yost said. “So far this month, the task force has made 19 arrests, some involving repeat offenders. This is a sobering reminder that we can’t afford to take our foot off the gas pedal in the fight against this scourge.”
Led by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, the task force is organized under Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission. It is a local law enforcement collaborative focused on investigating and arresting those who seek to buy s*x and engage in other s*xual deviancy, such as child-s*xual-abuse material (CSAM). CSAM is more commonly referred to as child po*******hy.
The Attorney General credited long-term child-po*******hy investigations by the task force for the recent convictions and sentencings of two men:
On June 13, Austintown resident Matthew Gingrich, 33, was sentenced to four years in prison and, upon release, will be required to register as a Tier II s*xual offender. Gingrich pleaded guilty to two counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor, three counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance, one count of telecommunications harassment and one count of nonconsensual dissemination of private s*xual images. Acting on a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, task force investigators conducted a search warrant and found Gingrich in possession of CSAM.
On June 20, East Liverpool resident Joseph Frye, 35, was sentenced to 32 years in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of illegal use of a minor or impaired person in a nudity-oriented material or performance, and 11 counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person. The task force found a significant amount of CSAM on Frye’s personal electronic devices, material that he had traded online. He was previously convicted of disseminating a n**e photograph of a minor. Upon release from prison, Frye, too, will be required to register as a Tier II s*xual offender.
Beyond the courtroom, the task force in June has made 19 arrests stemming from multiple investigations and undercover operations. Unless otherwise noted, all are charged with engaging in prostitution and possession of criminal tools:
June 1: Neil O’Brien, 50, of Steubenville
June 3: Scott Seifert, 35, of North Lima; also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia
June 5: Brian Sellitto, 47, of Willoughby
June 6: Robert French, 42, of Gnadenhutten, and Scott Ortenzio, 61, of Youngstown
June 7: Blair Floyd, 32, of Warren
June 8: Robert Lutman, 48, of Leetonia. As part of a previous task force investigation, Lutman was convicted in January 2022 in Columbiana County of engaging in prostitution and possession of criminal tools.
June 9: Johnny Wilson Jr., 30, of Opelousas, Louisiana
June 12: Han Yin, 34, of Wadsworth
June 14: Timothy Spotleson, 38, of Boardman, and Darnell Gibson, 38, of Youngstown
June 15: Eric Zelesnak, 47, of Youngstown
June 16: Gary Bartko, 40, of Pittsburgh
June 17: Brandon Williams, 28, of Butler, Pennsylvania
June 18: Peter Oyler, 74, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania; compelling prostitution and possession of criminal tools
June 20: John Kalosky, 52, of Youngstown. Kalosky also was found to have an active arrest warrant out of Georgia.
June 25: John Nesbitt, 40, of Zelienople, Pennsylvania
June 26: Peter Huskes, 50, of Baldwin, Wisconsin
June 27: Paul Miller, 30, of Warsaw, was arrested and booked into the Coshocton County jail by the Ohio Adult Parole Authority for a probation/parole violation. Miller was arrested in July 2022 in Columbiana County by the task force, sentenced to six months in prison and, upon release, was designated a Tier II s*x offender for attempting to compel prostitution, attempted unlawful s*xual conduct with a minor and importuning. While under post-release control, he again tried to purchase s*x from an undercover task force agent and was arrested.
The suspects, ranging in age from 30 to 74, include a doctor, truck drivers, construction workers, landscapers and general laborers – underscoring the broad backgrounds of those seeking to buy s*x.
Joining the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office on the task force are representatives from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Salem Police Department, East Palestine Police Department, Austintown Police Department, Youngstown Police Department, Warren Police Department, Adult Parole Authority and Ohio Investigative Unit.
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