Youngstown physician indicted in federal court on sex trafficking charges involving minors as young as 12 years old

A Youngstown physician was indicted in federal court on sex trafficking charges involving minors as young as 12 years old.

Albert Aiad-Toss, 52, was indicted on four counts of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of production of child pornography.

Aiad-Toss is allegedly to have used force, threats of force, fraud or coercion to cause three minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts at various points in June 2019. The victims ranged in age from 12 to 14 years old, according to the indictment.

Aiad-Toss is also alleged to have induced a 15-year-old girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct. This took place on June 29, 2019, according to the indictment.

“This defendant is accused of sexually assaulting children as young as 12 years old,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “Those who prey upon children and other vulnerable victims will be held accountable for their actions.”

“The abuse of a child is despicable and incomprehensible. Individuals such as Dr. Toss who allegedly choose to engage in sex acts with minors and sharing sexually explicit photos of children will face a court of law,” said FBI Special Agent Eric B. Smith. “Law enforcement will continue our unceasing efforts to protect our most precious resource, our children."

“The charges brought against the defendant, Albert Aiad-Toss, are the product of the cooperation between Ashland law enforcement agencies, my office and the federal authorities,” said Ashland County Prosecutor Christopher Tunnell. “This case is prime an example of what happens when all the relevant criminal justice agencies act with the singular focus of keeping our children safe from predatory exploitation.”  

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ashland Police Department and the Mansfield Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ranya Elzein and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan with the assistance of Ashland County Prosecutor Christopher Tunnell.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.