The Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office has charged eleven individuals who were arrested during an undercover investigation coordinated by the District Attorney’s Office. This operation was conducted alongside the Pennsylvania State Police, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Hampden Township Police Department. The individuals who were charged include Jonathan Almodovar, 29, Haitham Alnaimat, 35, Vanish Amin, 23, Tyler Bailey, 25, Bryant Heckman, 29, Steven Howell, 48, John Martin, 70, Thomas Reifnider, 55, Derrick Sanders, 27, Donte Traynham, 26, and Christopher Weller, 56. These men face charges of patronizing prostitutes.
The Pennsylvania State Police stated that the men contacted the undercover officers and arranged to meet with them to engage in sex acts for money. The officers then met and arrested these suspects in a hotel room. This is the fourth undercover operation in Cumberland County over the past year. In March of 2023, we reported that the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office had charged eight individuals who were arrested during their “Impact Demand,” operation, which began in June 2022. Operation “Impact Demand” is part of a joint effort by the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department, and local police departments, like Hampden Township, to target sex buyers. According to Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack, thirty-six sex buyers have been arrested since the operation began.
District Attorney McCormack emphasized that sex buyers are responsible for driving the sex trafficking trade, as every dollar that comes out of the wallet of a sex buyer is put into the hands of the sex traffickers who exploit the individuals trapped in this cycle. He further stated, “buyer beware,” as future enforcement operations are planned throughout the county and those who continue to prey on vulnerable individuals will be arrested and prosecuted.
The CSE Institute advocates for the equality model and supports law enforcement targeting demand in the sex trade. The four key elements of the equality model are (1) decriminalization of persons in prostitution; (2) criminalization of sex buyers and facilitators with a commitment to treating buying sex as a serious crime; (3) a public education campaign about the inherent harms of prostitution; and (4) funded, robust, holistic exit services for victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The decriminalization of people in prostitution recognizes that people being bought and sold for sex are victims being exploited, rather than criminals worthy of punishment.
The CSE Institute also notes that hotels and motels are among the most common venues for sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. The CSE Institute urges the hospitality industry to stop turning a blind eye to this problem and develop tangible solutions. These solutions could include mandatory training for all employees to help them recognize the signs of sex trafficking and what to do if they suspect trafficking. The CSE Institute recognizes the need for legislation that would require these types of trainings, policies, and procedures to be implemented in every hotel and motel across the country.
The CSE Institute commends the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Hampden Township Police Department for their efforts in investigating and arresting these suspects. The CSE Institute also applauds Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack for taking a stand against human trafficking and targeting the demand in the sex trade. By targeting the demand of sex buyers, law enforcement officials are targeting the root cause of sexual exploitation.
The CSE Institute will continue to provide updates on this matter.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or of Villanova University.