Cleveland.com | Cliff Pinckard
A law-enforcement sting targeting a human-trafficking ring in central Ohio has resulted in the rescue of eight women, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office announced Thursday.
Attorney General Dave Yost says in a news release that the women were working as prostitutes in the New Albany area. The women were arrested as part of the one-day sting, but then were allowed to speak with victim advocates while still on the scene, Yost says.
“Arresting the people who are the victims of human trafficking sounds harsh, but the complicated reality is that this often is the best way that law enforcement can help,” Yost says in the news release. “The bonds of human trafficking are often chemical chains of addiction and a hopelessness that there is no other way. This gives the survivors a chance to reset with services that are available.”
Yost said it’s hoped the women will provide information that will lead to the arrests of their traffickers.