GREENFIELD, Ohio — The trial for a local EMT, and former police officer charged with compelling prostitution began today.
In October of last year, law enforcement arrested a suspected predator in Greenfield.
A 17-year-old allegedly received messages of a sexual nature from a man named Ryan Coleman on Snapchat, who then told their school resource officer. Coleman is an active EMT, firefighter, and former police officer.
Law enforcement in Highland County began their investigation after the 17-year-old and their parents spoke with law enforcement regarding the messages. Detectives say that Coleman allegedly requested sexual acts from the teen in exchange for marijuana.
“I retrieved photographs on a cellphone of the Snapchat conversation….I reviewed the contents of the conversation in which Ryan Coleman offered to perform oral sex on a juvenile (name redacted). Coleman further offered to provide marijuana at the time the juvenile met with Coleman,” said the Detective in his report.
Police initiated a sting operation to catch Coleman in the act. The father of the juvenile was instructed to respond to Coleman and to set up a meeting. Coleman reportedly sent the juvenile a video “depicting marijuana, vape, and edibles.”
Detectives soon after began watching Coleman’s house located at 237 McClain Avenue. Coleman reportedly agreed to meet with the juvenile at Mitchell Park in Greenfield. Detectives say they witnessed Coleman leave his residence driving his 2022 white Dodge Challenger. Officers followed him to South 7th Street, just north of Mitchell Park. That’s when patrol units initiated a traffic stop and took Coleman into custody.
Agents with the Highland County Task Force and officers with the Greenfield Police Department served a search warrant on his residence. Authorities said in their report that an “abundance of drug paraphernalia” as well as a “surplus of marijuana-infused edibles” were found. Additional marijuana was found at the residence along with hidden cameras in his bedroom and various medications.
Coleman was subsequently indicted on charges of compelling prostitution.
Records show that this is not Coleman’s first run-in with the law. In 2022, Coleman’s residence was raided by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations. Details regarding their investigation have yet to be released.