Prostitution sting charge against former Stark State College administrator amended
A former Stark State College administrator charged in a prostitution sting last year has pleaded no contest to amended charges.
James P. Cooney, 47, of Brunswick, was among 17 people arrested after they were accused of answering an online ad for sex. He and the other men were charged with misdemeanor counts of engaging in prostitution and possession of criminal tools.
Under a plea agreement with Cooney, prosecutors amended the charge to misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Cooney pleaded no contest March 30 to the disorderly contest charge and possession of criminal tools.
Massillon Municipal Judge Edward Elum found Cooney guilty and sentenced him to 30 days but suspended the jail time. He must complete 40 hours of community service at his church.
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The arrests were part of a joint investigation Dec. 8 into human trafficking by Jackson Township police and the Summit County Sheriff's Office. During the single-day operation, several men answered an online advertisement offering explicit sexual services in exchange for payment, authorities said. Five of the 17 men charged were from Stark County.
At the time of his arrest, Cooney was the executive director of admissions and enrollment strategies at Stark State. He was placed on leave as soon as college officials were made aware of the incident, a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said Friday he resigned from his position.
Cooney did not respond to requests for comment.
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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark State College administrator pleads to disorderly conduct charge
