YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — A Pennsylvania physician has been arrested in Ohio on multiple felony charges after allegedly attempting to pay for sex with a minor, authorities said.
Dr. Robert Zewe Jr., 50, of Erie, Pennsylvania, faces charges of compelling prostitution, possession of criminal tools and engaging in prostitution.
The charges were announced by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene. Investigators said Zewe traveled to the Youngstown area and agreed to pay for sex with what he believed were an underage girl and her mother.
The individuals were fictitious and part of an undercover operation.
Zewe was taken into custody Friday by members of the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, which operates under the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission.
The task force is led by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office and includes officers from multiple agencies, including the Ohio Investigative Unit, East Palestine Police Department, Salem Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Youngstown Police Department, Austintown Police Department, Beaver Township Police Department, Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.
Authorities emphasized that Zewe is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.