CLEVELAND, Ohio - In February, 19 News was granted exclusive access to an undercover human trafficking sting throughout Northeast Ohio; the sting led to the arrests of eight men and the discovery of 15 potential victims.was conducted the week of the NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland. It was led by the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes officers from several agencies.
Their first step is to find out if the women are working alone or are under the control of someone else, like a pimp. That’s often the case, Detective Morgan told 19 News. “We’re totally seeking out the ones, the females and males, who are being forced into it,” Morgan added. “When we do encounter people claiming to be independent providers, we try to talk them into leaving the life. Some of these adults who are addicted to a drug, whether it be heroin or whatever, it’s very difficult for them to make that choice at that time.”