 started, law enforcement in Genesee County has arrested more than 240 people){kind=link}
Genesee County, Michigan – Since the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST) started, law enforcement in Genesee County has arrested more than 240 people who are accused of taking advantage of some of the community’s most vulnerable members. Sheriff Chris Swanson talked about the milestone at a recent press conference and stressed how hard the team is working to stop exploitation and protect children and adults from harm.
GHOST was started in May 2018 and has been working on identifying and arresting people who target minors online and people who are involved in human trafficking. Sheriff Swanson said that the program has led to 241 arrests so far. He said that GHOST’s approach was both proactive and innovative, with law enforcement routinely pretending to be youngsters in internet discussions to get suspects to talk about their plans.
Swanson talked about a few recent studies that show how dangerous these predators are while he was speaking. Luis Rivera-Tobar, a 59-year-old male, is said to have driven more than 90 minutes from Port Huron to Genesee County, where he planned to meet a juvenile. Investigators said that Rivera-Tobar, who is from El Salvador and has been living in the U.S. on a temporary visa since 1994, was arrested when he got there.
Another alarming incident happened with Ronald Williams, a 51-year-old man from Eastpointe. Swanson says that Williams left his mother off at church and then drove his car to meet what he thought was a minor. GHOST officers, on the other hand, took him into jail. Williams has a long history of crime, including several prison sentences for different crimes.
Swanson talked of an investigation in which two suspects from Toledo, Ohio, reportedly brought a vulnerable adult to mid-Michigan with the goal of trafficking the person for money. This was in addition to cases involving individual predators. Authorities stepped in before more damage could be done, which shows how serious GHOST is about stopping all kinds of exploitation.
Swanson said that the team’s success was due to the help of local, state, and federal agencies working together and support from the community. He underlined how important it is to stay alert, telling people to report any strange behavior and reminded potential predators that GHOST will keep going after people who hurt innocent people.
The Sheriff ended the conference by saying again that GHOST’s job is to safeguard children and vulnerable individuals. He said that every arrest made by the team makes the county a safer, stronger place to live.