Former Youngstown Area Physician Sentenced to 22 Years for Sex Trafficking Minors

 Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that Albert Aiad-Toss, 53, of Canfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Pamela A. Barker to 22 years of imprisonment, lifetime supervised release, a $50,000 fine and a special assessment of $40,800.  Aiad-Toss, a Youngstown-area physician at the time of the offense conduct, previously pleaded guilty to seven counts of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of child exploitation.  This case is the District’s largest juvenile sex trafficking prosecution to date.

“Juvenile sex traffickers like Aiad-Toss prey upon our most important resource – our children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan.  “Through the collaborative efforts of the Ashland Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ashland County Prosecutor’s Office and our office, law enforcement has once again demonstrated our unwavering commitment to holding traffickers accountable and protecting our children.  The young victims in this case bravely and courageously shared their experiences and certainly prevented other young girls from being similarly victimized.”

“The sentence today is the culmination of months of hard work by multiple law enforcement agencies to bring this offender to justice,” said Christopher Tunnell, Ashland County Prosecutor and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney.  “We are sending a unified message to anyone perpetrating crimes against our children that no matter who you are, we will bring every resource at our disposal to bear upon you, and you will be made to answer for your crimes.”  

"The abuse of a child is both despicable and incomprehensible," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith. "Aiad-Toss, using his position of trust, admitted to engaging in sexual acts with minors. As a result, Aiad-Toss will be serving a significant and just sentence in federal prison. Law enforcement will continue our unceasing efforts to protect our most precious resource, our children."

As set out in court documents, between June 1, 2019, and June 29, 2019, Aiad-Toss used the online application Snapchat to entice, recruit and patronize six minor female victims, all between the ages of 12 and 15, to engage in sexual conduct with him by providing them with money, alcohol, new clothes and other items of value.  He specifically budgeted $2,000 per month to be spent on obtaining young girls for sexual exploitation. 

To avoid detection, Aiad-Toss targeted young girls in Ashland County, which was approximately 90 miles away from his home in Youngstown, to avoid being seen by anyone he knew.  To further avoid detection, he typically arranged for the girls to enter hotel rooms through a side door rather than through the main entrance. 

Many of Aiad-Toss’ encounters involved more than one of the juvenile victims meeting him in a hotel room at the same time.  On June 15, 2019, surveillance video obtained by investigators show Aiad-Toss inside a hotel with three juvenile victims.  Additionally, investigators located an image taken on June 17, 2019, depicting Aiad-Toss in a vehicle with three juvenile victims. 

Aiad-Toss’ conduct also included the exploitation of another child by using Snapchat to entice and receive sexually explicit images and videos.

Aiad-Toss was arrested on July 5, 2019.

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