YOUNGSTOWN — Glenn A. Jones, 59, of Clark, N.J., pleaded guilty Tuesday to compelling prostitution and two counts of possessing criminal tools stemming from an August 2022 sex sting carried out by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force.

Jones will be sentenced at 10:30 a.m. April 26 before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. The judge ordered Jones to be held in the Mahoning County jail without eligibility to make bond until his sentencing.

Jones has been in jail since Jan. 20, when he was arrested on a warrant for failing to appear for a pretrial hearing before Krichbaum Jan. 19.

Jones was among 17 people who responded to advertisements on various websites during the sting and tried to arrange to have sex with minors, Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene said.

Greene said the message of the sting intended to send was: “Since they’re not going away, we (law enforcement) are not going away.”

The people charged in the sting were from as nearby as Youngstown, Niles and Struthers. Two truck drivers from Louisiana and New Jersey also were arrested. Many of the charges are felonies with some carrying a penalty of up to three years in prison if convicted.

Jones was indicted on compelling prostitution, attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, engaging in prostitution and two counts of possessing criminal tools. Some of the charges were dismissed Tuesday in exchange for Jones’ guilty plea.

erunyan@vindy.com