A quick-thinking Scioto County deputy rescued a young victim from a dangerous situation, only for the suspect to be back on the streets a day later.
On Monday, September 22, Deputy Megan Carver was patrolling Scioto Trail when she spotted a female in the back seat of a vehicle desperately trying to roll down the window for help. Moments later, the young passenger screamed that the driver was high and it wasn’t safe.
Carver pulled the car over on Kinney’s Lane, with backup from the Ohio State Highway Patrol. What deputies uncovered was even more disturbing: evidence that one of the juveniles in the vehicle had been paid through a cash app to perform a sex act on the driver.
Arrest and Fast Release
Detectives arrested Alex Ivan Ortiz Morales, 19, of Portsmouth, charging him with compelling prostitution involving a minor — a third-degree felony. He was also cited for OVI by the Highway Patrol.
But despite the seriousness of the charges, Morales quickly made bond. Court records show that on Tuesday, September 23, he appeared before Portsmouth Municipal Court and was released the same day after posting a $10,000 cash bond, paid by Cedric Davis. Morales is scheduled to return to court on September 25.
Ohio’s Trafficking Crisis
Sheriff David Thoroughman stressed that the investigation is ongoing, but this case shines a spotlight on Ohio’s human trafficking crisis. The state has long ranked among the highest in the nation for trafficking cases, with Portsmouth and Scioto County identified as hot spots due to poverty, addiction, and the intersection of major highways.
Ongoing Investigation
The Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with information to contact Detective Sergeant Jodi Conkel at 740-351-1091.
For now, the young victim is safe, but the suspect accused of exploiting her is already back on the streets.