A private criminal defense lawyer from northeast Ohio has been charged in a sex sting operation, Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Monday.
Kenneth Martin, 72, of Macedonia, Ohio has been charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools following a sex sting by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force.
On February 22, according to Yost’s office, Martin “allegedly agreed to pay $180 for sex after responding to an advertisement posted by undercover agents to a website associated with human trafficking,” later arriving at an agreed-upon location, “allegedly with money in hand.”
Martin, owner of Kenneth C. Martin Law, lists prostitution and solicitation cases among his legal defense specialties on his business website.
“Ken Martin has represented hundreds of defendants in every kind of felony and misdemeanor case other than murder. He knows the ropes, knows the system, and will work his tail off to get you the best possible result,” the defendant’s website states.
Two men from northeast Ohio, including a criminal defense lawyer, are facing charges following a sex sting by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, AG Yost announced today.
Details: https://t.co/A6frRhVp1E pic.twitter.com/SmGnqyOzJx— Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (@OhioAG) February 26, 2024
Yost commented on the case, saying, “It’s sometimes the people you’d least expect who drive the demand for human trafficking.”
“A lawyer should know better – don’t buy sex in Ohio,” Yost added.
The Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force is part of the attorney general’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission. The task force is led by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office and consists of representatives from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, East Palestine Police Department, Austintown Police Department, Youngstown Police Department, Warren Police Department, Adult Parole Authority and Ohio Investigative Unit.
One day prior to Martin’s arrest, the task force also charged Coty Salman, 31, of Youngstown, Ohio with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools the day before.
Salman, according to Yost’s office, also allegedly “responded to a fictitious online ad and agreed to pay $140 for sex before traveling to a meeting location, where task force agents were waiting.”
The Salem Police Department assisted with both of the task force stings, Yost’s office noted.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “AG Dave Yost” by AG Dave Yost.
