“And the financial proceeds of the transactions would go straight into the pockets of Young and his co-conspirators,” said Lossick.

Once the task force was on the case, investigators began to question some of the victims, gathered motel records and receipts, reviewed video surveillance, and conducted physical surveillance and court-authorized electronic surveillance on the suspects.

At one point, Young suspected he might be under federal investigation and began instructing his mother to delete text messages and e-mails related to the criminal activity. Young also directed others in the conspiracy to post threatening messages on social media to discourage the victims from talking to law enforcement.

By June 2016, investigators had enough evidence, and seven individuals—including Young—were charged by a federal jury in Ohio. Five were indicted on human trafficking charges, and two on charges related to obstructing the investigation. Five subjects eventually pleaded guilty and were sentenced, but Lorenzo Young and his friend Aundre Davis opted for a trial. Both were convicted at trial in May 2017, and in December 2017, Young was sentenced to life in prison, while Davis received a 30-year term.

Lossick firmly believes that the successful outcome of this case was the result of “strong and collaborative relationships between the FBI and the law enforcement agencies on the task force—especially the Lima Police Department, who we worked with closely on this particular investigation.”

And of the ongoing work of the Toledo Child Exploitation Task Force, Lossick says that “it continues to be successful at getting kids out of harm’s way and giving victims the support they need to get on with their lives.” In the Lorenzo Young case, FBI victim-witness specialists from both the Cleveland and Cincinnati Divisions worked with the juveniles exploited by Young and his crew, providing them with emergency support, crisis intervention help, social services referrals, information about their case, and other victim assistance services.

“Especially in these kinds of cases,” explained Lossick, “the victims always come first.”