Human Trafficking Task Force makes child pornography, massage parlor busts

The Lebanon County Human Trafficking Task Force announced multiple arrests in a series of operations over the summer.

In a recent release, Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf announced several successful investigations and arrests, including operations targeting suspected pedophiles and illicit massage parlors.

The task force is a collaboration between the district attorney’s office, the county Detective Bureau, FBI, Office of the Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Lebanon City Police, South Lebanon Township Police, Cleona Borough Police, and Western Regional Police. The operations announced this month took place from early July through mid-September.

The release detailed three major operations.

Pedophile warrant roundup

During the week of Sept. 8, the release said, the district attorney’s office, the county Detective Bureau, state troopers, and the state police Computer Crimes Unit “partnered to serve arrest and search warrants on suspected pedophiles.”

Officers arrested two suspects and conducted a search warrant on a third adult male, the release said.

On Wednesday, Sept. 10, state police arrested Christopher Barto, 55, of Myerstown, and charged him with rape of a child, unlawful contact with minors, sexual assault, indecent assault, corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of children, and indecent exposure.

Charges follow receipt of a Childline tip that the defendant possessed child pornography, police said in the release. During the investigation, police said, Barto “confessed to the sexual assault of a female child” between the ages of 7 and 9, and, after police questioning, he “tried to hide by signing himself into a local mental health hospital.” Police located him at the hospital and arrested him there, the release said.

Further details about the assault were not released to protect the identity of the victim. The defendant remains incarcerated pending a preliminary hearing.

On Friday, Sept. 12, the task force and the Computer Crimes Unit executed search warrants on two male Lebanon County residents after receiving Cybertips identifying them as the possessors and sharers of child pornography. Officers served and executed search warrants in the early morning hours at homes in Lebanon city and Myerstown Borough.

Police arrested Drake Boger, 21, of Myerstown, at his home at 152 W. Main Ave., Myerstown. According to the release, between March and June of this year, the Computer Crimes Unit received eight Cybertips that reported the possession, sharing, and viewing of explicit child pornography.

The tips collectively reported nearly 200 images and videos that showed the sexual assault and naked bodies of minors, police said. Police investigated the electronic identifiers linked to all reported child pornography and determined that Boger was the user of the computer and possessor of the pornography.

In addition to Boger’s arrest, police executed a search warrant on the property for all items that could contain, view, or share child pornography, the release said, and after police found child pornography on electronics within the home, Boger confessed to the charges. The district attorney’s office approved charges of sexual abuse of children and unlawful use of a communication facility against Boger. Magisterial District Justice Anthony Verna arraigned the defendant and set bail in the amount of $100,000.

Police also executed a search warrant in the of 100 block of South Hanover Street, Lebanon, after the Computer Crimes Unit received a Cybercrimes tip regarding the possession, sharing, and viewing of a video depicting a nude preteen female engaged in sexual activity. Police linked a male adult resident of the home to the computer that shared the child pornography and seized electronics in the home to search for illegal material. That investigation is ongoing.

Illicit Asian massage parlors

Over the past several months, the district attorney’s office received tips and complaints from local citizens regarding several Asian massage parlors within the county that provided sexual services in exchange for money. Accordingly, the task force began an investigation, including surveillance.

The investigation ultimately revealed that women traveled “to America from their home country under the guise of a better life,” the release said. “They paid thousands of dollars for travel and what they believed to be a legal massage license. When they arrived in America, they were deposited at various Asian spas. Their work became sexual favors in exchange for money.”

On July 2, the Detective Bureau and city police executed a search warrant on Smile Spa at 723 Cornwall Road, Lebanon, after the task force received tips that female employees there performed sexual acts besides giving massages. Detectives monitored the spa and its activity, and received additional confirmation that men were receiving sexual favors from females at this location.

Execution of a search warrant revealed that two women both lived and worked at the spa, both of whom confirmed they charged money for sexual activities. The district attorney’s office coordinated with Lebanon City Public Safety/Code Enforcement to close the spa.

On Sept. 18, the Lebanon County Detective Bureau and Lebanon City Police Department executed a search warrant on the New New Spa at 121 E. Cumberland St., Lebanon, after receiving similar tips that female employees offered and performed sexual acts in exchange for money.

The task force used an undercover agent, who entered the spa and was offered sexual favors in exchange for monetary payment, the release said. Officers executed a search warrant and found condoms, more than $2,000 in cash, and a handwritten log of customers served. The search also revealed two women, who both lived and worked at the spa, one of whom was the woman who interacted with the undercover agent.

Like at the other location, the district attorney’s office coordinated with Lebanon City Public Safety/Code Enforcement to close the spa.

According to the district attorney’s release, the investigations into spas providing illicit activities are ongoing. Anyone with information can submit a tip via email to Lebanon County Crimewatch.

Sex worker outreach

The task force conducted a specialized detail over the weekend of Sept. 12. As part of the detail, detectives used online platforms containing advertisements for the purchase of sexual services from commercial sex workers and attempted to solicit services. If a sex worker responded, the detective arranged an in-person meeting. Detectives then identified themselves as police, interviewed the sex worker, asked if she was a victim of human trafficking or was forced to perform sex acts by another, and offered possible services.

“The Lebanon County Human Trafficking Task Force exists to protect those victims who cannot help or save themselves,” Hess Graf said in the release. “We are trying to save women, arrest pedophiles, and keep our citizens safe.”

The district attorney said she is grateful for the assistance of the FBI and the Attorney General’s office, as well as the “hard work and dedication shown by each municipal police department and officer who assisted.”

“The work of this Task Force is never finished,” she added. “We now move onto the next investigation and the goal of keeping the people of Lebanon County truly safe.”

The task force began operations this past spring and is actively conducting multiple investigations. Anyone with information on suspected incidents of human trafficking should contact the Detective Bureau at 717-228-4403 or Lebanon County DA Crimewatch.