Items written by Riley Crouthamel

• Two Pennsylvania Professionals Exchange Services for Sex

  Date: April 3, 2025

  In February 2025, two professionals in the Greater Philadelphia region were arrested for exchanging their professional services for sex with clients. Neither were charged with human trafficking. Both should have been. On February 11, Brian Thomas Steiner, a Delaware County … Read more about Two Pennsylvania Professionals Exchange Services for Sex »

• Digital Exploitation: How Social Media and Financial Instability Fuel Human Trafficking

  Date: April 1, 2025

  In the last decade, the internet and social media have transformed daily life, offering global access and financial opportunities. While these platforms empower users to build audiences and monetize content, they also expose vulnerable individuals, particularly those from lower socio-economic … Read more about Digital Exploitation: How Social Media and Financial Instability Fuel Human Trafficking »

• Human Trafficking Case Results in Probation in Blair County

  Date: March 28, 2025

  On February 28, 2024, Nikkia D. Beck, 43, was sentenced to ten years of probation by President Judge Wade A. Kagarise of Blair County after pleading guilty to conspiring to engage in human trafficking, sexual exploitation of children, corruption of … Read more about Human Trafficking Case Results in Probation in Blair County »

• Five Arrested in North Strabane Township Following Prostitution Investigation

  Date: March 28, 2025

  On January 23, Homeland Security and local police arrested five individuals in connection with a “prostitution investigation” in North Strabane Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania. The arrests followed searches of two spas, Jin Spa and Yan Spa, by the local North … Read more about Five Arrested in North Strabane Township Following Prostitution Investigation »

• “Don’t Buy Sex in Ohio”: Washington County Official Among Recently Arrested by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force

  Date: March 26, 2025

  According to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, the recent arrests made by Ohio’s Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force highlight the “diverse backgrounds of those fueling human trafficking.” Among the arrestees are Patrick Geho, 55, of Washingtonville, Pennsylvania, and David … Read more about “Don’t Buy Sex in Ohio”: Washington County Official Among Recently Arrested by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force »

• Lackawanna County Makes Series of Arrests of Men Attempting to Exchange Methamphetamine for Sex

  Date: March 26, 2025

  As we previously reported, the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office has recently brought several cases against men who all separately attempted to exchange methamphetamine for sex acts after contacting undercover law enforcement. None of the men were charged with human … Read more about Lackawanna County Makes Series of Arrests of Men Attempting to Exchange Methamphetamine for Sex »

• Federal Jury Finds Dauphin County Man Guilty of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

  Date: March 24, 2025

  On February 13, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced the conviction of Melad Fahmy, 44, of Dauphin County, for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution. Fahmy now faces up … Read more about Federal Jury Finds Dauphin County Man Guilty of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor »

• Power, Privilege, and Politics: The Matt Gaetz Ethics Report

  Date: March 24, 2025

  On December 23, 2024, the U.S. House Committee on Ethics released its report regarding sexual misconduct allegations made against Matt Gaetz, a former GOP Florida Congressman that President Donald Trump nominated to be the 87th Attorney General of the United … Read more about Power, Privilege, and Politics: The Matt Gaetz Ethics Report »

• UPDATE: Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking in U.S. District Court

  Date: March 14, 2025

  On February 19, Philip Walker, 39, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to a sex trafficking charge related to him orchestrating a violent, multi-state human trafficking operation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania reported that Walker pleaded … Read more about UPDATE: Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking in U.S. District Court »

• Berks Man Arrested in “Underage Prostitution Sting”

  Date: March 14, 2025

  On February 13, Nicholas P. Timmonds, 33, of Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, was arrested after allegedly attempting to pay for sex with a 17-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl. As a result, Timmonds faces charges of two counts of unlawful contact with … Read more about Berks Man Arrested in “Underage Prostitution Sting” »