This morning it was announced that a group of gang members in Chicago would be charged with the sex trafficking of young girls. The collaborative effort by law enforcement utilized the Illinois Safe Children Act, a new law our End Demand Illinois campaign created last year in partnership with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
We are thrilled that the law is being used to take down traffickers. The Illinois Safe Children Act gives law enforcement new tools like wiretapping to build a case against perpetrators. Kudos to the Cook County Sheriff's office and the Chicago Police Department for their work on this case.
The Illinois Safe Children Act also gives all minors in our state immunity from prosecution for prostitution. We applaud this latest effort and urge the community to show their support for efforts like these that go after traffickers, pimps and johns.
The Illinois Safe Children Act also gives all minors in our state immunity from prosecution for prostitution. We applaud this latest effort and urge the community to show their support for efforts like these that go after traffickers, pimps and johns.
A disturbing but important aspect to this story is the fact that men in Chicago are purchasing sex from young girls. The majority of men who buy sex face few consequences for their crimes, and yet they are fueling the sex trade. Efforts like today’s to dismantle organized crime address one important facet of the problem. Another is to hold johns accountable for the harm they cause when they purchase women. To learn more about men who buy sex in Illinois, read our fact sheet.
To learn more about ending demand, visit www.enddemandillinois.org
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