UPDATE 4 p.m. 6/24/2020 – A federal grand jury has indicted a Scioto County man and several of his family members and associates with charges related to a child sex trafficking operation.
According to United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio David M. DeVillers, The man allegedly exchanged drugs obtained in Columbus and elsewhere for sexual access to the children of drug-addicted mothers.
Court documents say the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force agents began investigating Larry Dean Porter, 69, of Wheelersburg in April 2019 following reports from several sources he was involved in sexually abusing minors with the consent of their parents in exchange for illegal drugs from Porter.
Porter was arrested in March 2020 on local charges during a human trafficking sting operation by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Porter allegedly offered to pay $80 in exchange for access to a 7-year-old girl in Facebook messages coordinated by law enforcement. He was arrested after arriving at a pre-arranged meeting location and allegedly stating he would “be done around midnight” and could return the girl then.
Victims and sources in the ongoing investigation by the FBI and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) say Porter sexually abused children and produced child pornography kept on flash drives that he allegedly used extreme methods to conceal.
The complaint says he would give illegal narcotics to drug-addicted parents in exchange for sexual access to the minor victims. It is also alleged he often instructed the parents to sexually abuse their own children and recorded it to use as blackmail.
According to the criminal complaint, Porter made numerous recorded phone calls and mailed three letters while incarcerated in Jackson County allegedly attempting to have his family members and associates lie under oath, convince other witnesses to lie to law enforcement or to convince sources not to provide information to law enforcement.
Porter is charged in a 13-count indictment with conspiring to sex traffic children (15 years up to life in prison), attempting to sex traffic children (15 years up to life), producing child pornography (15 to 30 years), possessing child pornography (up to 10 years), conspiring to obstruct a child sex trafficking investigation (up to 25 years) and conspiring to witness tamper (up to 20 years).
According to DeVillers’ office, allegations also say two of daughters and two of his friends were seen making numerous trips to Porter’s residence and property immediately after his arrest. Denna Sue, 32, of Wheelersburg, Ohio, and Crystal D. Porter, 39, of Columbus, were allegedly seen digging holes in the ground on the property.
Officers and agents searched the area March 20 and found an SD memory card buried inside a glass jar. Court documents allege the memory card contained images of child pornography taken in Porter’s bedroom.
Both Denna and Crystal Porter are charged with conspiring to obstruct a child sex trafficking investigation (up to 25 years), destroying or removing evidence (up to five years), and making false statements to law enforcement (up to eight years), according to DeVillers.
Porter’s associates Frank E. Andrews, 68, of Wheelersburg, Ohio, and W. David Cole, 62, of Portsmouth, Ohio were also allegedly seen on Porter’s property, according to court documents.
Agents say they found eight DVDs at Andrews’ home allegedly containing multiple videos of child pornography. They also say forensic evidence indicated the file titles match those on Porter’s computer.
He is charged with conspiring to sex traffic children (15 years up to life in prison), possessing child pornography involving a prepubescent child (up to 20 years), conspiring to obstruct a child sex trafficking investigation (up to 25 years), and destroying or removing evidence (up to five years), according to Devillers’ office.
Facebook messages allegedly show conversations between Cole and Porter discussing child sex trafficking victims. DeVillers says he also allegedly removed and destroyed evidence from Porter’s home.
He is charged with conspiring to sex traffic children (15 years up to life in prison), conspiring to obstruct a child sex trafficking investigation (up to 25 years), and destroying or removing evidence (up to five years), according to DeVillers.
Court documents say during a recorded jail call, Porter and his cousin, Erroll “Wayne” Porter, Sr., 69, of Wheelersburg, Ohio, discussed an individual they believed was a source for law enforcement. Wayne Porter said he “got some things working there, trying to take him down.” In a later call, Porter told Wayne, “Go out and make sure that idiot don’t do something,” among other things.
According to Devillers, Wayne Porter is charged with conspiring to obstruct a child sex trafficking investigation (up to 25 years), and conspiring to tamper witnesses (up to 20 years).
Joshua David Aldridge, 36, of South Webster, Ohio, is charged with conspiring to sex traffic children (15 years up to life in prison) and sex trafficking children (15 years up to life in prison). He alleged Aldrige transported minor victims to Porter’s home and received drugs in return, according to DeVillers’ office.
Charity Ann Rawlins, 41, of South Webster, Ohio, and Ronnie L. Rawlins, 47, of Oak Hill, Ohio, are also charged with conspiring to sex traffic children (15 years up to life in prison) and sex trafficking children (15 years up to life in prison). Court documents say the couple allegedly took a seven-year-old child to Porter’s home to traffic the child sexually in exchange for pills on a regular basis. This alleged abuse occurred a few times per week for up to five years.
A number of other adult women allegedly involved have been charged locally, according to Devillers.
COLUMBUS, OH (WOWK) – A federal grand jury has indicted a Scioto County man as well as eight of his family members and associates with charges related to a child sex trafficking operation.
According to United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio David M. DeVillers, the man allegedly exchanged drugs for sexual access to the children of drug-addicted parents.
Federal, state and local law enforcement are expected to announce more details including a list of charges this afternoon, Wednesday, June 24, 2020.
