RAVENNA, Ohio — A Ravenna man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minor.
According to a release from U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler, 33-year-old Andrew Wirth was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams for the sex trafficking of a minor in 2019.
“The defendant’s reckless and repeated attempts to pursue minors for sexual conduct show his blatant disregard for our laws and the wellbeing of our community’s children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler. “Thanks to the cooperation between our federal, state and local partners, law enforcement in Northern Ohio remains a united front in the fight against human trafficking.”
Court documents say that the Ravenna man originally was arrested in May 2019 for using a social media app to attempt to meet up with an officer who had posed as a minor. The man believed he was meeting up with a minor for sexual activities. Wirth later posted bail for this incident.
While out on bond in November 2019, Wirth used another social media app to connect with a minor for the purposes of connecting for sexual activity. The Ravenna man provided the minor with gifts and meals for in return for the acts.
After this encounter, Wirth arranged to meet with a victim over the age of 18. During this interaction, the Ravenna man expressed his interest in having sexual relations with victims as young as 10-years-old. The man even offered a "finder's fee" if the victim helped him to locate a minor. This was reported to the police by the victim.
Police then went undercover and began an online conversation with Wirth. The man expressed an interest to meet with the officer, who he believed to be a minor, and later purchased a hotel room, alcohol, and other items for the purposes of having sexual relations with an underage victim. The man was arrested the day of the intended meeting outside of the hotel room.
“The arrest of Andrew Wirth must serve as a wake-up call to those who engage in the horrific crime of sex trafficking,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris III. “Wirth’s egregious actions show his willingness to exploit the vulnerable, and HIS and our law enforcement partners stand ready and committed to removing such individuals from society,” he added.
“This is a prime example that some people just need to be locked up and kept away from the rest of us—and our children,” said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. “Thanks to our partners at the US DOJ, the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force and Cuyahoga Regional Human Trafficking Task Force, that’s what is going to happen here.’
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