YOUNGSTOWN The Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force arrested five people, including a man facing a federal charge, as part of a statewide operation targeting human trafficking and the solicitation of sex.

The arrests were made during “Operation Next Door,” a crackdown led by the Ohio Attorney General’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) human trafficking task forces last week. The operation involved over 100 law enforcement agencies across Ohio and resulted in the arrest of 135 people statewide.

Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene said the operation highlighted the work necessary to combat human trafficking.

“The ugly fact is that human trafficking occurs in every county and every neighborhood across the state,” Greene said. “The Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force will continue its work to ensure that those who seek to exploit others will face the full consequences of the law.”

The Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, led by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, arrested the following individuals:

Jackson Wortman, 28, of Ravenna, was arrested on charges including attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, importuning, possession of criminal tools, disseminating matter harmful to a juvenile and attempting to corrupt another with drugs. Authorities noted Wortman identified himself as a Walmart employee.

Robert Zimmerman, 42, of Canfield, was arrested for pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor and possession of criminal tools.

Scotty Skiba, 38, of Salem, was arrested and charged with receipt and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The federal charge will be brought in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Michael Ford, 55, of Cleveland Heights, was arrested for engaging in prostitution. Authorities noted Ford identified himself as a schoolteacher.

Jose Raymond Clemens Dimas, of Durham, North Carolina, was arrested for engaging in prostitution and possession of criminal tools. He is being held on an immigration detainer.

Statewide, the operation resulted in 32 arrests on felony charges such as promoting prostitution, compelling prostitution, seeking sex with a minor, and drug-related offenses. Another 103 individuals, referred to as “johns,” were arrested and charged with engaging in prostitution or solicitation.

Attorney General Dave Yost said the operation's name, "Operation Next Door," was chosen to emphasize the proximity of the crime.

“Too often, we are lulled into the false narrative that these crimes happen only in the shadows,” Yost said. “This is simply not true — human trafficking occurs in plain sight and, unfortunately, may even be fueled by your co-workers or neighbors.”

The crackdown, which involved federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, took place in cities, suburban areas and rural parts of the state.

Beyond the arrests, 67 human trafficking survivors were referred by law enforcement to health-care and social-services organizations during the operation. Authorities also executed nine search warrants, including raids on massage parlors in the Toledo, Cleveland, and Akron areas. Over $62,000 was seized, along with evidence to support long-term investigations.

Other task forces across Ohio reported specific outcomes, including the Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force recovering two girls, ages 14 and 17, known to be missing or at risk for trafficking. The Summit County Human Trafficking Task Force arrested a man who was also charged with child endangering after authorities found he had left his 15-month-old child alone at home to purchase sex.