HARRISBURG—Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced the arrest of two individuals for seeking sexual contact with undercover law enforcement agents posing as minors. These arrests are the result of an undercover investigation conducted by the Office of Attorney General and Robinson Township Police concerning online child exploitation and human trafficking throughout western Pennsylvania.
“Our Organized Crime Unit has been very active in investigating human trafficking cases across Pennsylvania, and will continue to prosecute offenders who exploit children and create a market for human trafficking,” said Attorney General Shapiro. “Thanks to strong collaboration with our local law enforcement partners, we will hold these individuals accountable for their crimes, and uncover child predators – wherever we find them.”
On April 22, 2021, agents from the Office of Attorney General (OAG) and Robinson Township Police arrested John Carter, 58, for his efforts to solicit sexual services from an agent posing as a minor boy and an adult male trafficker. He is being charged with one count of Unlawful Contact with a Minor, one count of Attempted Patronizing a Victim of Sexual Servitude, one count of Attempted Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse and one count of Criminal Use of a Communications Facility.
The next day, as part of a similar investigation, agents and Robinson Township Police also arrested Simon Whaby, 55, for his efforts to solicit sexual services from an agent posing as a minor and an adult trafficker. He is being charged with one count of Unlawful Contact with a Minor, one count of Attempted Patronizing a Victim of Sexual Servitude, one count of Attempted Statutory Sexual Assault, and one count of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility.
The cases are being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Summer Carroll. All charges are accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Both preliminary hearings will be held on May 11, 2021. This investigation was assisted by the OAG’s Child Predator Section. When any individual is involved in or benefits from selling a minor for sex, that is considered human trafficking under state and federal laws. These defendants agreed to pay a minor for sex knowing they were a victim of human trafficking.
Earlier this month in Washington County, the OAG announced the guilty verdict in a separate human trafficking case. The defendant, St. Patrick Earl Levy, was found guilty of two counts of felony human trafficking of a minor and all underlying counts of promoting prostitution, corruption of minors and living off of prostitutes. The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Katherine Wymard.
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