COOK COUNTY, IL – Officers from the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Special Victims Unit issued citations to 21 men and towed 17 vehicles after the men responded to online prostitution advertisements, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced today.
On Thursday, SVU officers set up meetings at a hotel in Northwest Cook County between the buyers who arranged meetings over the internet and an officer posing as a person selling sex.
After the buyer agreed to exchange money for sex, SVU members waiting outside entered the room and took the individual into custody.
All 21 men were issued a $1,000 citation for violation of the Cook County public morals nuisance ordinance, and 17 vehicles were towed under the ordinance, requiring the vehicle owner to pay $500 to reclaim possession.
Sheriff’s Police aggressively pursues sex purchasers and offers services and support to individuals who are trapped in the sex trade.
“Sex trafficking leaves a trail of trauma in its wake,” Sheriff Dart said. “Too many victims, most of whom are women, experience violence and abuse, and we are committed to pursuing those who perpetuate this trauma by seeking to purchase sex.”