Five arrests made, 10 women rescued from suburban sex trafficking ring

St. Charles police, along with other law enforcement agencies, announced on Thursday the arrest of five people on felony charges of involuntary servitude and the rescue of 10 women who were being sex trafficked in brothels in St. Charles, South Elgin, Elgin, Hanover Park, Palatine and Chicago.

At a news conference at police headquarters, St. Charles Police Chief James Keegan and Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser described how a report in early spring of a brothel operating in a west side apartment in St. Charles led to a monthslong investigation of a human trafficking organized crime syndicate.

Keegan said they served search warrants on all the locations, arrested four men and one woman and took the 10 women into protective custody yesterday morning. The women, all from South America, ranged in age from their early 20s to early 30s and one was treated a hospital, he said.

“They were brought into the United States for the sole purposes of being victimized and exploited,” Keegan said. “Some of these charges are Class X felonies. This sends a strong message to those contemplating similar behavior that this will not be tolerated in our communities, by law enforcement or prosecutors.”

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