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UPDATE: 20 men arrested in sex sting

YOUNGSTOWN — Twenty men were arrested in a sting operation targeting those allegedly seeking to have sex with minors, according to the Mahoning County Sheriffás Office.

The Operation Full Court Press sting was conducted by the sheriff’s office and the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force.

“We draw them in to come to Mahoning County to have sex with an underage male or female,” said Sheriff Jerry Greene. “They come to us and we arrest them.”

This was the first time the sting was done on a weekend and it resulted in a number of suspects from out of the area coming to Mahoning County, Greene said.

Most of the men live in the area, but some arrested reside in North Canton, Mantua and Atwater as well as Pittsburgh and Beaver Falls, Pa.

The occupations of those arrested include laborers, a butcher, an engineer, a construction company owner, insurance salesman and a mechanic.

It was also a larger number of men arrested over the weekend than what happens during the week.

Law enforcement from a number of local and state agencies made 20 arrests in Mahoning County between Friday and Sunday.

Those arrested face charges including attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, importuning, possession of criminal tools and compelling prostitution.

In comparison, 14 other men were arrested on similar charges from June 1 to July 29 in Columbiana County as a result of a separate sting by the Mahoning County Sheriffás Office, the task force and other police departments.

Those arrested over the weekend and their hometowns are:

James Smiley of Salem

David Collica of Mantua

Mark Reda of Struthers

Brian Evans of Youngstown

Donald Griffin of Pennsylvania (hometown not listed)

Brendan Beasor of Hubbard

Daryll McLendon of Youngstown

Scotty Akins of Campbell

Richard McLemore of East Palestine

Rafael Cortes of Boardman

Dakota Hoffaker of Sebring

Mathew Davis of Beaver Falls, Pa.

Phillipe Miguel of Salem

Ruben Saucedo of North Canton

Brian Rogers of Atwater

Andrei Makarov of Pittsburgh, Pa.

Mark Young of Alliance

Roy Brock III of Struthers

Nikitas Zirounis of Youngstown

Gary Seevers of Beaver, Pa.

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