A Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire was arrested alongside 13 other men during a “John sting” targeting individuals suspected of buying sex on the internet in Ohio, numerous sources reported.
Brian O’Nora, 57, of Youngstown, was arrested and charged with soliciting, third-degree misdemeanor and possessing criminal tools, a first-degree misdemeanor, according to a Monday statement from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office.
14 arrested in Liberty Township human trafficking sting https://t.co/UsuKSlmOt2 pic.twitter.com/7ZEo2isBDd
— WKBN 27 First News (@WKBN) December 7, 2020
O’Nora and 13 other men arrived at a hotel to pay for sex Sunday, which is when the took place resulting in the suspects’ arrests, according to a Facebook post by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. An individual familiar with the case confirmed to USA Today Sports that the suspect was O’Nora.
The MLB did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
“John stings deter those seeking to purchase sex – reducing the demand for human trafficking – and serve as a reminder that these crimes are more prevalent and closer to home than you may think,” Yost said in the statement.
O’Nora joined the MLB in 1999, and has worked there for 23 years. Among the games he worked were the 2012 World Series and the 2008 American League Championship Series. He was born in Ohio, where he lives now. He is married with three children, according to the MLB website.
DENVER, CO – AUG. 30: Walt Weiss #22 of the Colorado Rockies discusses a call with umpire Brian O’Nora #7 during the ninth inning of a game between the Colorado Rockies and the Cincinnati Reds at Coors Field on Aug. 30, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
Mahoning Valley, along with other regions of Ohio, has faced an increase in sex trafficking that has in turn led to a statewide crackdown involving numerous law enforcement agencies, the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force said in the statement.
Operation Autumn Hope was a large-scale effort that concluded in October with the rescue of 109 victims of human trafficking and the arrests of more than 157 men across Ohio. More than 50 law enforcement agencies took part in the operation to arrest individuals looking to buy sex or have sex with a minor, and to recover missing and exploited children along with trafficking victims. (RELATED: ‘Don’t Buy Sex In Ohio’: State Attorney General David Yost Announces 109 Human Trafficking Victims Rescued In Statewide Operation)
In another sting operation, police arrested a 69-year-old man who was giving illegal drugs to addicted parents in exchange for access to children who the suspect would then sexually abuse.
