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 trafficking. All should have been.
On February 1, John Dyson, 45, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was arrested for attempting to trade methamphetamine for sex. As a result, Dyson was charged with criminal use of communication facility, possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, criminal attempt, intent to possess a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and patronizing prostitutes.
The investigation began after Dyson contacted an undercover officer purporting to advertise sexual services on a website known to facilitate prostitution. According to officers, Dyson agreed to meet investigators in the 400 block of Lackawanna Avenue and provide money and methamphetamine for sexual services. Officers report that Dyson claimed to have an unlimited meth supply and sent a photo of himself. Investigators also reported they observed Dyson arrive by Uber at the agreed upon location and was immediately taken into custody.
An initial search revealed Dyson had $238 in cash and the cellphone used to arrange the transaction. A subsequent strip search at police headquarters uncovered 42 grams of methamphetamine. Afterward, Dyson admitted he intended to exchange 0.5 grams of meth for sexual services
The arrest was part of a broader operation by the Scranton Police Street Crimes Unit, which investigated suspected prostitution citywide. Officers monitored a website known for facilitating prostitution, where users advertised sexual services, payment methods, and meeting locations. Dyson is currently being held at Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail.
Dyson’s case closely mirrors two other arrests made in Lackawanna County that same month. Joseph Slusser, 51, of Harding, and William Schreiber, 43, of Scranton, were arrested in a similar undercover operation targeting attempts to exchange methamphetamine for sex.
On February 26, Slusser was arrested after he allegedly communicated with an undercover officer who he believed to be a 25-year-old female and agreed to meet at the West Side Hotel in Scranton to engage in commercial sex acts. After officers report he confirmed his arrival with a photo, he was detained and allegedly found to be carrying marijuana and meth in an amount consistent with what he agreed to exchange for sex. Slusser was charged with various drug offenses and criminal use of a communications facility.
On March 5, Schreiber was arrested in a separate investigation after he allegedly communicated with an undercover officer who he believed to be a 35-year-old female and agreed to exchange crystal methamphetamine in exchange for sex. Upon his arrival at the agreed upon location, Schreiber was detained and reportedly found with a glass pipe used for smoking meth and 0.5 grams of methamphetamine. He also had an iPhone, which he used to communicate with the undercover officer. Schreiber is charged with various drug offenses and criminal use of a communications facility.
While the CSE Institute commends the effort to target sex buyers, we are disappointed that Lackawanna County chose not to fully utilize Pennsylvania’s human trafficking statute in charging all three men. In doing so, the county fails to apply the law as intended and hold offenders fully accountable.
Under Pennsylvania law, a person commits sex trafficking if they recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain, advertise, maintain, patronize, or solicit another for a commercial sex act. The law defines a commercial sex act as “a sex act for which anything of value is given to or received by a person.” Drugs, particularly for those struggling with addiction, unquestionably qualify as something of value.
In addition, one of the means of force, fraud or coercion enumerated in section 3012(b)(12) is “Facilitating or controlling the individual’s access to a controlled substance.” Exploiting a person’s addiction to manipulate them into commercial sex is a deeply reprehensible form of coercion. This method of control should be recognized by the courts as a clear instance of trafficking, as it preys on an individual’s vulnerabilities and perpetuates their victimization.
Trafficking and addiction are inextricably linked, as victims often turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with the trauma of exploitation. Whether they carried prior trauma into their victimization or developed it as a result, traffickers often use addiction as a tool of control, and sex buyers often capitalize on this vulnerability by offering substances in exchange for sex.
Lastly, all the men reportedly solicited sex by engaging with undercover officers on a website known for facilitating prostitution. This interaction satisfies the act element of the legal definition of sex trafficking, as they initiated the transaction by soliciting sex through the website. They also admitted to planning to exchange methamphetamine—a tangible item of value—for sex, which satisfies the means element of the law. Given these factors, they should be charged not only as sex buyers but also as traffickers. Fully enforcing Pennsylvania’s trafficking laws in cases like this is vital for ensuring justice for victims and upholding the intent of the legislature.
The CSE Institute will continue to provide updates as they become available.
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.