Dover man pleads guilty after human trafficking investigation
LISBON (WJER) (June 28, 2022) – A Dover man has pleaded guilty to charges related to a human trafficking investigation in Columbiana County.
Chad Robert Ryan, 45, pleaded guilty to three counts, including attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a fourth-degree felony, on June 22 in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court.
A grand jury indictment claims Ryan tried to solicit sex from a law enforcement officer posing as a juvenile.
According to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, Ryan in May of 2021 thought he was going to a location to pay $1,000 to have sex with a woman and her 14-year-old daughter. Instead, he was arrested by East Palestine police officers.
Ryan initially faced five counts, including a third-degree felony, but he pleaded guilty to three lesser charges. The potential prison sentences range from 6 to 18 months per offense. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 8.