Operation Predator Nets Multiple Suspects
Rodney Ault 
Willard Williams 
Jon Mattea 
Kyle Sammons 
George Cremeans 
Christopher Jett 
Rodney Weaver 
Ryan Washburn
Operation Predator Nets Multiple Suspects
GALLIPOLIS, Ohio – Multiple suspects have been arrested following a law enforcement sting to net sexual predators.
According to Gallia County Sheriff Matt Champlin, his office conducted a recent operation which was code named, “Operation Predator” in an effort to eliminate sexual predators from preying on youth in Gallia County.
Those individuals who have been indicted by a Gallia County Grand Jury are listed below accompanied by the charges which they will face in the Gallia County Court of Common Pleas:
- Jon A. Mattea, 43, of Cheshire, Ohio, charged with (2) counts of Compelling Prostitution and (1) count of Importuning
- Ryan A. Washburn, 31, of Guysville, Ohio charged with (2) counts of Compelling Prostitution and (1) count of Importuning
- Rodney L. Weaver Jr., 41, of Albany, Ohio charged with (2) counts of Compelling Prostitution and (1) count of Importuning
- Christopher A. Jett, 41, of Parkersburg, W.V., charged with (2) counts of Compelling Prostitution and (1) count of Importuning
- George M. Cremeans, 41, of Gallipolis, Ohio, charged with (2) counts of Compelling Prostitution and (1) count of Importuning
- Kyle A. Sammons, 37, of Kitts Hill, Ohio, charged with (2) counts of Compelling Prostitution and (1) count of Importuning
- Willard R. Williams III, 48, of Ray, Ohio, charged with (2) counts of Compelling Prostitution and (1) count of Importuning
- Rodney L. Ault, 43, of Gnadenhutten, Ohio, charged with (2) counts of Compelling Prostitution and (1) count of Importuning
“In this technological age every day we are seeing the youth of our county being taken advantage of by individuals more and more through electronic devices and social media. As your Sheriff this scares me, as a parent myself this absolutely terrifies me. Over the past several months, I have guided and directed an investigative team as we have performed online investigations to determine if there is a threat to our youth through online platforms which provide for prostitution or other unlawful sexual acts against our children,” stated Sheriff Champlin.
Sheriff Champlin went on to say, “I am pleased to report that Operation Predator has been successful in receiving indictments on eight individuals who have agreed to meet and pay for sexual conduct with what the offender believed was a minor under the age of sixteen. Although I am pleased that these individuals were caught, it is also heartbreaking to know that there are individuals out there victimizing our children. I want the citizens of Gallia County to know that my staff and I are committed to working diligently every day to continue to protect you and your family with outside of the box style efforts like this one which are targeted to prevent our youth from being victimized. It is my hope that with this announcement we will bring a heightened level of awareness to the parents and caregivers throughout our county of the real threat that exists in the electronic world we live in today. Please continue to watch our page as, in the near future, we are working on a project to give our families another tool to use to protect their children on their electronic devices.”
All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Christopher Jett Ryan Washburn Rodney Weaver George Cremeans Kyle Sammons Jon Mattea Willard Williams Rodney Ault
