MAHONING COUNTY, Ohio - A Louisiana man plead not guilty on charges related to sexual contact with a minor in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court early Wednesday morning. 

Mark Dupuis, 26 plead not guilty to one count of attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor and one count of importuning. 

Dupuis was originally arrested in August in connection to a statewide investigation into sex trafficking where 17 people were arrested in Mahoning and Columbiana County. 

He was indicted in late September on charges related to the sex sting operation. 

He is currently being held on bond.