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Summit County Sheriff’s Office investigating human trafficking reports at Akron tent city – Akron Beacon Journal

Homeless advocate Sage Lewis points out details of his newest homeless camp on his East Akron property May 17 in Akron.

The Summit County Sheriff's Office said it's investigating “suspected sexual offenses and human trafficking violations” at a homeless tent village in Akron that the city is trying to get shut down.

Sage Lewis, the private property owner and homeless advocate who facilitates the encampment, said he's not aware of human trafficking going on at the location, but he said if there is, he's “deeply thankful” it was reported to the police.

“If someone was being trafficked, if someone felt exploited, I am deeply thankful they called the police. Thank God,” Lewis said. “Because here's the thing: there is this incredibly strong code on the street that says you do not talk to the police. Now, I'm gonna tell you who makes that code. It's the predators…It is extremely dangerous to call the police on the street because you will be targeted for calling the police. You will be targeted for anything you try to stand up for against a predator.”

According to a release from the sheriff's office issued Wednesday night, the agency said it received “several credible complaints of possible exploitation and potential human trafficking violations.”

“It is an ongoing investigation. So we are limited to what we can share, but I can tell you, we had some information that individuals, not juveniles, but adults were being exploited and trafficked, and they're both physical abuse, sexually abused and possibly forced into prostitution,” said Summit County Sheriff's Office Inspector Bill Holland.

The Summit County Sheriff's Office, Summit County Prosecutor's Office and Akron Police Department on Tuesday conducted a welfare check at the site on Kent Place in Akron, known as“Tent City.”

Detectives said they discovered people had been “victimized and required immediate intervention” and were offered medical treatment, counseling and shelter service options, according to the news release, with one person taken to an area hospital because of their medical condition.

Holland said the number of victims is still being determined and the current priority is helping the victims.

“We're early on in the investigation, so we're still determining who all's involved and who the suspects are, how many victims are there because at the end of the day, identifying victims and getting them to services is our goal. And obviously, preventing this, preventing future victims as well,” Holland said

The sheriff's office said its detective bureau is continuing to investigate “suspected sexual offenses and human trafficking violations alleged to have occurred at the location.”

The sheriff's office also said it found 13 people living in and around the Kent Place location who had active felony warrants on charges including burglary, having weapons while under disability, sex offender non-compliance and possession of drugs. The people with felony warrants were taken to the Summit County Jail.

Holland said no arrests have been made in the human trafficking investigation as of Thursday afternoon.

Sage Lewis discusses situation

Lewis discussed the situation in an hour-long Facebook live video Thursday.

Lewis said although he knows it's not legal, he supports “a woman's right to do sex work” and has a “don't ask don't tell policy” about it.

“Who am I to tell a woman how she can or cannot make money?” he said. “Did I believe people were selling sex for money or drugs? [Of] course.”

“But I absolutely, unequivocally do not support exploitation. If a woman or a man had felt exploited, and they called the police, thank God. Thank God. Thank God,” he said. “Call the police if you are being attacked. Do not listen to the street predators that tell you you cannot call the police. Snitches get stitches is something that a predator says to keep people in line.”

Lewis said he's only accepted money from three people who live in a house on the property and pay him $300 each in rent. He said he's only paid people who perform legitimate work at the camp, like storing the tents of the people who were arrested on warrants Tuesday.

“Let's just cut right to the chase. Am I trafficking sex workers? Let's just get there. Now obviously, I could be lying to you. I could be I could be the biggest sex trafficker in Akron. But I'm going to tell you this. I can't get a person to clean the bathroom in exchange for electricity and internet,” he said. “I am not a sex trafficker. I am not a drug dealer. I am none of that. I am a guy who illegally shelters homeless people. OK, now, if anyone believes that I have trafficked them, I will absolutely talk to the police. No lawyer. My lawyer is gonna love to hear that. I am happy to talk to the police about that. And if the police need help finding someone who trafficked somebody, I will gladly hunt them down and return them to the police. Gladly.”

Lewis said if human trafficking were happening, it's likely he wouldn't have been told about it.

Lewis said he doesn't hide people from the police or lie to the police, but he hasn't asked people who live in the village what their background is. But he may have more restrictions in the future.

“There are people I would consider to be predatorial in my camp, and I use them for helping keep the place organized,” he said. “But I think I'm going to end that.”

Lewis also said there are no children living in the camp.

City of Akron trying to shut down new tent city

The city of Akron this month sued to shut down the tent village Lewis is operating on land behind his commercial building on Broad Street.

Citing public safety concerns, violation of local ordinances and non-compliance with zoning rules, the city of Akron filed its lawsuit June 3 in Summit County Common Pleas Court, asking a judge to force Lewis to disband an encampment of tents, a camper, tarp awning and sheds occupied by more than 30 chronically homeless people.

In the complaint, City Law Director Eve Belfance is asking the court to declare the camp an unlawful “controversy” and a “public nuisance.” The matter is set for a preliminary injunction hearing July 8 in Summit County Magistrate Kandi O'Connor's court.

The people Lewis — a recovering alcoholic who's been sober for almost 19 years and who empathizes with the addicted and homeless — serves refuse to go to the city's traditional homeless shelters. Plagued by mental illness, trauma that often began in their childhoods and years of addiction, they distrust authority. Many have warrants for their arrest. They've lived in the wilderness for years. And some are only recently homeless.

Lewis said in the Facebook Thursday that he doesn't believe the human trafficking investigation is “a big plan by [Akron Mayor] Dan Horrigan to throw me under the bus. I don't.”

Lewis also said emphasized the importance of the investigators looking into the complaints. He encouraged people who don't want to contact the police to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, text HELP to BEFREE (233733), email [email protected] or visit humantraffickinghotline.org for help.

“I'm not sorry this [investigation] happened at all. At all. You may think that it's like a black eye on my organization. I don't,” he said. “I don't know the facts. I don't know all of the details. I definitely want to know the details. I definitely will gladly talk to anybody that wants to talk to me about this. If the police want to talk to me about this, I am happy to talk to the police…The police were nothing but polite and professional in that raid.”

Reporter Doug Livingston contributed to this article. Contact Beacon Journal reporter Emily Mills at [email protected] and on Twitter @EmilyMills818.

 

This “Eyes on Trafficking” story is reprinted from its original location.

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