Ohio report finds more sex buyers are being arrested, penalties remain limited

Arrests of people accused of buying sex have increased dramatically in Ohio over the past several years, but jail time served remains minimal and required education programs are inconsistently tracked, according to a first-ever statewide report released by Attorney General Dave Yost.

The report, The Drivers of Demand, examined more than 1,800 people arrested on allegations of buying sex between 2019 and 2025.

Yost commissioned the study to evaluate Ohio’s efforts to reduce the demand that fuels human trafficking.

“For far too long, victims bore the blame for sex trafficking,” Yost said. “But that blame really belongs to sex buyers.”

The report found arrests climbed sharply after House Bill 431 took effect in 2021, creating a specific criminal offense for sex buyers known as “engaging in prostitution.”

Statewide arrests rose from 134 in 2021 to a peak of 444 in 2023. More than 300 arrests were recorded in both 2024 and 2025.

Researchers credited much of that increase to expanded human trafficking task force operations coordinated through the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission.

Despite increased enforcement, penalties remain relatively light.

The report found offenders received an average jail sentence of about 61 days in 2025, but actually served only two days on average. Statewide, average jail time served over the study period was seven days. Average fines fell to $366 in 2025 after peaking at nearly $600 in 2022.

The report also found that educational programs commonly known as “john school” are widely ordered but inconsistently tracked. More than 600 offenders were ordered to attend such programs, yet the state cannot fully verify compliance across counties.

Researchers identified significant gaps in public records as well. Nearly one-third of arrests reviewed lacked accessible case information, limiting the state’s ability to track outcomes and repeat offenders.

The report paints a picture of the typical Ohio sex buyer as male, white, employed and educated. Most were between the ages of 30 and 59.

According to surveys cited in the report, common motivations included loneliness, curiosity, stress, boredom and ease of access through online platforms.

Yost’s office says the findings will help shape future efforts to combat human trafficking by targeting demand rather than victims.