Local Prostitution Ring Connected To Human Trafficking

CLEVELAND -- Gov. Ted Strickland signed a new law that cracks down on human trafficking, and a NewsChannel5 investigation found that it is a much bigger problem than you might think, and Ohio plays a big role.In a small Geauga County town, investigators suspected women were being exploited by a human trafficking operation.Seven years ago, a NewsChannel5 investigation found women being sold into prostitution and brought into the United States.The discovery prompted Senate hearings.It's a $9 billion industry and exploits 12 million people worldwide. Last summer, the Silver Spring Spa was put out of business."They would be dropped off by a cab and four ladies were living together in the basement of this place that had a camera on the front door and very little room to move within the place," said Geauga County prosecutor.  Leading immigration attorneys say human trafficking is happening on a wide scale in Ohio."I believe, especially in Ohio, it's an extremely serious issue. Oddly enough, Toledo, Ohio was ranked two years in a row by the FBI as the most human-trafficked city in the United States," said attorney Jonathan Bartell. The new law mandates prison times for human traffickers.