Hellman has since resigned from her job with the city

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – A former call taker for Youngstown’s 911 center pleaded guilty Monday to obstructing a human trafficking investigation that her son was a suspect in.

Judge Anthony Donofrio sentenced Elaine Hellman, 72, to 18 months probation after she pleaded guilty to a single count of attempted obstruction of justice.

Prosecutors allege Hellman alerted her son, Ronald Hellman, 51, that he was a target of the investigation that ultimately indicted four people.

Of those four people, one later committed suicide.

Investigators said Hellman was providing girls to a man in Austintown who was using them for pornography.

Another defendant in the case has already pleaded guilty and has agreed to testify against the remaining two defendants.

Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer McLaughlin said that Elaine Hellman has no knowledge of the conduct of the other defendants in the case. She is not expected to testify against the remaining two defendants.

Hellman has since resigned from her job with the city.

“I should not have called my son and I apologize for that,” she told the judge.