Ottawa County has one of the few Prosecutor’s Offices that prosecute all cases within the county. (Submitted photo)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

Ottawa County Prosecutor James VanEerten made victim support a priority in his office. (Submitted photo)

OTTAWA COUNTY – When James VanEerten began his first term as Ottawa County Prosecutor in 2017, he had his hands full. Ottawa County has one of the few Prosecutor’s Offices that prosecute all cases within the county, unlike some counties, where legal duties are shared by cities and villages.

“This is more expansive of a position than most people realize. We are one of a few counties in the state where we prosecute everything – misdemeanors, traffic tickets, all the way to serious felonies like murder,” VanEerten said. “Many counties have a city law director, but here, every

misdemeanor goes through the same court. Also, this office represents every political subdivision in the county.”

VanEerten’s hands were full of his expansive duties, but he wasn’t done. Doing the bare minimum wasn’t enough for him. There were more people to help and more impact to be made on the community.

Since 2017, VanEerten has added four revolutionary programs – all grant-funded – to ensure criminals are held accountable, victims have a voice and support, and children are protected.

Eight years ago, VenEerten formed the Ottawa County Major Crimes Unit with Agent Trevor Johnson. The Major Crimes Unit focuses on undercover drug operations and crimes against persons, and it has a heavy focus on investigating perpetrators tied to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).

The Major Crimes Unit is not only reactive, but it also proactively investigates possessors of CSAM before they reach actual victims. Last summer, the Major Crimes Unit collaborated with the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force on a weekend operation and arrested nine people involved with CSAM in the county.

VanEerten also created the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Response Team (DVSART) to offer support for victims. Domestic violence victims often return to their abusers because they don’t have the resources to move forward without them. DVSART walks beside them and offers emotional and practical support.

“Often in domestic violence cases, the victim is codependent on the abuser. They have children, no employment, no money, and they’ve been isolated. We remove barriers. We hold their hands and connect them to resources,” VanEerten said. “We help if they need a place to stay, treatment, or transportation. We help them get whatever they need to get through the night, the month, or the year.”

When VanEerten created the Drug Abuse Response Team (DART), it is unlikely that he foresaw the impact it would make on the community. DART agents respond to all overdoses in the county, both deaths and survivors. The agents have saved many lives by administering NARCAN, and they have transformed many lives by helping overdose survivors connect to the support they need to move beyond addiction. Agents identify gaps in recovery support, and VanEerten gives them the authority to fill those gaps because the core mission of DART is saving lives and transforming lives.

“James gives us the creative leeway to work the cases and make a difference in the community,” Johnson said. “He collaborates well with the Sheriff’s Office. The officers have his respect. They know he is dependable and will give solid advice every time.”

Lastly, VanEerten brought a program to Ottawa County that few counties offer – the Mobile Forensics Task Force. Its team can extract criminal evidence from cell phones, including phone history, location data, messages, images, and search history. The program greatly expediates and enhances the investigatory power for sexual assault and CSAM cases.

Prior to forming the Mobile Forensics Task Force, cell phones that held potential evidence had to be sent out, and it took several months for the evidence to be returned, delaying prosecution of cases with vulnerable victims.

VanEerten is dedicated to proactively supporting victims and prosecuting crime in the county. In 2016, the office handled 134 felony cases. Now, it handles over 300 annually. VanEerten said his theory is to do the greatest good to the greatest number of people with the resources he has.

“James really made the Prosecutor’s Office his own,” Johnson said. “He works hard making sure no stone goes unturned and the county is getting the best quality work from his office.”