The sting, called “Operation Full Court Press,” ran from June 1 to Aug. 1 through the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office and the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, searched for predators seeking to engage in sexual activity with children online and resulted in the 34 arrests.

Between June 1 and July 29, 14 arrests were made in Columbiana County, and during a three-day operation conducted between July 30 and Aug. 1, 20 arrests were made in Mahoning County.

Among those arrested include Pennsylvania residents Gary Seevers, of Beaver; Andrei Makarov, of Pittsburgh; Mathew Davis, of Beaver Falls; Donald Griffin, of Pennsylvania; Kenneth Smart, of Elwood City; Randy Fennell, of Pennsylvania; and Howard Sweltzer, of Pennsylvania.

Multiple Pennsylvania men were among 34 arrested in a following a major child sex sting in Ohio, including several from the greater Pittsburgh area.

The men were communicating online and thought they were meeting up with children for sex, but it turns out they were trading messages with agents of the human trafficking task force.

Greene encourages parents to monitor what their children are doing online.

“They’ll be given an address or a place to meet at, and that’s where the arrest will take place.”

By Joseph Franklin

We blog about human trafficking and child porn cases. If you have any information on the situation please feel free to call the nation human trafficking hotline at 1-888-7888

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