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County man gets probation for promoting prostitution

COLUMBIANA — A city man charged earlier this year with promoting prostitution has been sentenced to five years probation for the fourth-degree felony.

Marcus Huffman, 32, of Country View Circle, was sentenced by Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge R. Scott Krichbaum earlier this month. Details of the sentencing were only recently made available on the court’s website.

Huffman was originally charged in April by Beaver Township police who were investigating a Backpage advertisement posted by a known prostitute who had a warrant for her arrest.

Police found Huffman and the woman, identified as Huffman’s girlfriend, and an older man at a motel in the township on April 3 while responding to the ad under the guise of being interested in the service.

Huffman was found by police walking nearby outside the room, which is what he would do while his girlfriend was with someone inside the room. The two were using the money to support their drug addictions, according to the police report at that time.

Huffman was charged with possessing criminal tools in addition to prostitution charges after police found he was using a phone to communicate with potential customers from the online ad and schedule dates and times for services, the report said.

He was indicted by the Mahoning County grand jury in June of this year and later pleaded guilty to one count of promoting prostitution and possession of criminal tools. He was sentenced to five years probation on those charges by Krichbaum.

The charges carry a maximum prison term of 18 months and 12 months each, and a combined fine of $7,500, had he not been eligible for probation.

According to court documents, Huffman is required under the probation terms to complete an intensive outpatient treatment program and he is not allowed to possess drugs, alcohol or firearms. Additionally, he must also obtain gainful employment throughout the entire five-year term.

The probation term was agreed upon both by the prosecution and Huffman’s attorney, Robert Harvey, who pointed out during the sentencing that Huffman has already been involved in an intensive treatment program since September and has maintained a full-time job.

Huffman’s girlfriend was granted intervention in lieu of conviction as part of a plea-agreement over the summer and was also required to receive treatment while being on monitored probation.

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