A teenage girl in the foster care system was forced into prostitution by an Ohio woman, who is facing a slew of criminal charges, according to authorities.
Haley Blythe was arrested and booked into the Montgomery County Jail on Friday, January 9, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release shared that day.
Information on her legal representation was not immediately listed in court records.
“Only a monster could prey on our most vulnerable youth – those in foster care – for sexual exploitation, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement.
Blythe is accused of exploiting a 16-year-old girl between September 3 and November 7, after the teen ran away from her foster home placement, Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Greg Flannagan told the Dayton Daily News.
Blythe, 25, is from Dayton, the sheriff’s office’s media director, Christine Bevins, confirmed to Us Weekly on Monday, January 12.
She allegedly forcibly prostituted the teen and took sexually explicit photos of her, the prosecutor’s office confirmed to WHIO-TV.
The girl was from a neighboring county and had been in the care of a foster placement in Montgomery County, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Investigators note that youth in these situations are often targeted because of their vulnerability,” the sheriff’s office said in the news release.
The Miami Valley Human Trafficking Task Force in Ohio investigated Blythe, resulting in the criminal charges against her. Several local law enforcement agencies, including the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Homeland Security Investigations, are involved in the task force.
“According to investigators, Blythe knowingly exploited the victim in multiple ways, including facilitating and promoting commercial sexual activity and placing the child in unsafe and harmful situations,” the sheriff’s office said.
When asked about the relationship between Blythe and the teen, Bevins told Us that “I do not believe there was an initial relationship other than they happened to meet each other.”
Blythe has been indicted on charges including: trafficking in persons, illegal use of minor in nudity-oriented material or performance, endangering children, compelling prostitution, promoting prostitution, illegal use of minor in nudity-oriented material or performance and contributing to unruliness or delinquency of a child.
“Our office remains committed to protecting vulnerable youth and ensuring victims are supported, heard, and protected,” Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said in a statement.
Blythe is due in court on January 22, records show.
In Ohio in 2025, the Miami Valley Human Trafficking Task Force’s investigative efforts resulted in 84 indictments and 43 people arrested in connection with alleged human trafficking, the sheriff’s office said in a January 5 news release.
The task force also rescued, spoke with or referred services to 72 individuals who were said to be human trafficking victims, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Our message is simple – Don’t buy sex in Ohio,” Yost said in a statement. “Under the strong leadership of Sheriff Streck, the Miami Valley Human Trafficking Task Force is reinforcing that those who seek to buy or sell sex will face criminal consequences.
If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
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