Photo Illustration

A Marietta man arrested as part of a statewide human trafficking crackdown was one of 15 people indicted this week by the Washington County Grand Jury.

Cory James Noel, 28, 107 Howard St., Marietta, was indicted on 20 second-degree felony counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person, as well as a misdemeanor charge of falsification.

According to Washington County Prosecutor Nicole Coil, the investigation was the result of a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

“It’s a national network of 61 coordinated task forces that represent local, state and federal law enforcement,” she said. “When they see something which is suspicious or definitely appears to be a crime against a child … they notify the local law enforcement.”

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation, meeting with Noel and obtaining a search warrant for his phone, Coil said.

The indictment says the alleged pandering crimes took place from Sept. 13-24, while the falsification incident happened on Sept. 25. Coil said the pandering charges all involved reproducing or sharing sexually oriented images.

Noel’s arrest was announced in late September as part of Operation Next Door, which involved more than 100 law enforcement agencies and was led by the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission. It resulted in 32 felony arrests statewide on charges including sex with a minor, drug possession and trafficking, and promoting prostitution or compelling prostitution. A total of 103 “johns” seeking to buy sex were also arrested and charged.

Noel is in custody at the Washington County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office website.

Also indicted by the grand jury were:

– Derek Ryan Whytsell, 45, Marietta; strangulation, a fourth-degree felony, and domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor, from July 21.

– Christopher Dvon Capers, 42, 3820 Fairfield, Shreveport, La.; theft from a person in a protected class, a fifth-degree felony, from June 2024.

– Alicia Dawn Rivera, 41, Marietta; one count of strangulation, a third-degree felony, and two counts of domestic violence, a third-degree felony and first-degree misdemeanor, from Aug. 31. Rivera has previously pleaded guilty to or has been convicted of two offenses of domestic violence from April 2013 and March 2014. Rivera was also indicted in a separate case for one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, from June 22.

– Anthony J. Hayhurst, 61, 246 Main St., West Union, W.Va.; one count each of passing bad checks and theft, both fifth-degree felonies, from November 2021.

– Heath Michael Patterson, no age or address listed; domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor, from Aug. 22.

– Rayburn Bragg Buchanan, 50, 108 Scara Via St., Marietta; trespassing in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present, a fourth-degree felony, from Aug. 21.

– Dakota Ski Acores, 31, last known address 907 Colegate Drive, Marietta; failing to appear as required by recognizance, a fourth-degree felony, from Sept. 22.

– Brianna Lynn Hall, 25, 432 N. Fifth St., Cambridge; one fifth-degree felony count of identity fraud, two first-degree misdemeanor counts of receiving stolen property, one first-degree misdemeanor count of misuse of credit cards and two fifth-degree felony counts of theft from July 4.

– Dylan Alexander Madden, 22, 1767 Lancing Drive, Salem, Va.; improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony, from March 8. The indictment also listed a specification for forfeiture of a weapon.

– Paul Edward Dickinson Jr., 43, 1117 Keen St., Zanesville; tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, and possession of cocaine, a fourth-degree felony, from March 9.

– Buddy Allen Miller, 51, last known address 212 Maple St., Marietta; escape, a third-degree felony, from Sept. 19.

– Dillon Gage Anderson, 30, 2987 Dutch Ridge Road, Parkersburg; breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony, and theft, a first-degree misdemeanor, from Sept. 16.

– Co-defendents David William Mowery, 54, 333 Old School Lane, Fleming, and Valerie Aletha Jefferson, 52, 1413 40th St., Parkersburg; one count each of fourth-degree felony attempting to commit an offense. Mowery was also indicted on three counts of aggravated menacing and four counts of criminal damaging or endangering, all first-degree misdemeanors. Jefferson was also indicted on six counts of first-degree misdemeanor complicity in the commission of an offense. All charges were from Aug. 1 and 8.