An undercover anti-sex trafficking operation in Malheur County, Oregon, has led to 15 arrests.
Malheur County Sheriff Brian Wolfe said Saturday that the High Desert Drug Taskforce, in conjunction with the Malheur County Sheriff's Office and police departments in Ontario, Nyssa and Payette, conducted the operation within the past week.
Investigators posted online ads on known sex-trafficking websites. People who contacted undercover officers and arranged payment for sexual acts were arrested at a hotel in the Ontario area.
The following people were arrested and booked into the Malheur County Jail:
- Eric Lantz, 35, Ontario, OR - Charged with misdemeanor commercial sexual solicitation
- Suman Nag, 26, Boise, ID - Charged with misdemeanor commercial sexual solicitation
- Hubert Anika, 44, Meridian, ID - Charged with misdemeanor commercial sexual solicitation
- Rodney Huggins, 52, Weiser, ID - Charged with misdemeanor commercial sexual solicitation
- Michael Woodland, 62, Homedale, ID - Charged with misdemeanor commercial sexual solicitation
- Misty Dawn Redding, 36, Ontario, OR - Charged with misdemeanor prostitution
- Ravonne Williams, 22, Reno, NV - Charged with misdemeanor prostitution
- Evelyn Young, 25, Sparks, NV - Charged with misdemeanor prostitution
- James Carlile, 18, Ontario, OR - Charged with misdemeanor commercial sexual solicitation
- Victor Strica, 31, Philadelphia, PA - Charged with misdemeanor commercial sexual solicitation
- Jason Danke, 29, Ontario, OR - Charged with misdemeanor commercial sexual solicitation
- Benjamin Lagrone, 42, Caldwell, ID - Charged with misdemeanor commercial sexual solicitation and felony unlawful possession of methamphetamine
- Ryan Novotny, 41, Fruitland, ID - Charged with misdemeanor commercial sexual solicitation
- Carlos Martinez, 20, Nampa, ID - Charged with misdemeanor commercial sexual solicitation
- Antonio Walker, 34, Las Vegas, NV - Charged with felony compelling prostitution
Wolfe said that sex trafficking has become a serious problem within almost all of his county's neighborhoods.
"Sex trafficking has negative effects on the livability of our communities," he said. "We believe it is important to investigate these types of crimes in our communities."
Wolfe also said that sex trafficking and prostitution are not victimless crimes - and that the victims of sex trafficking and prostitution are forced to suffer through physical, sexual and mental abuse.
If you know or think that someone may be involved in trafficking or is being exploited, Wolfe urges you to contact your local police, the Sexual Assault Resource Center hotline at 1-800-640-5311, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.
