A Pennsylvania physician has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies after allegedly traveling to Ohio to engage in sex acts with a minor, according to an announcement by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene.
Dr. Robert Zewe, Jr., 50, of Erie, Pennsylvania, faces charges including compelling prostitution (a third-degree felony), possession of criminal tools (a fifth-degree felony), and engaging in prostitution (a misdemeanor). Authorities say Zewe was taken into custody on Friday in the Youngstown area following an undercover operation.
According to officials, Zewe allegedly agreed to pay for sex with what he believed was an underage girl and her mother. The operation was conducted by undercover agents from the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force.
The task force operates under the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission led by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office. It includes members from several agencies: the Ohio Investigative Unit, East Palestine Police Department, Salem Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Youngstown Police Department, Austintown Police Department, Beaver Township Police Department, Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Attorney General Yost emphasized that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
