Twenty-two men were arrested Wednesday after responding to online advertisements for prostitution in Northwest Cook County.
The Cook County Sheriff’s Police Special Victim’s Unit set up meetings with would-be buyers and an officer posing as a person selling sex at a hotel in Northwest Cook County, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Once the men offered to exchange money for sex, officers waiting outside entered the hotel room and took the men into custody, the sheriff’s office said.
Twenty-two men were issued $1,000 citations for violation of the county’s public morals nuisance ordinance, and 19 vehicles were towed under the ordinance, requiring an additional $500 to reclaim, the sheriff’s office said.
“Sex trafficking is not a victimless crime,” Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart said. “Many victims – primarily women – suffer violence and abuse, and my office is committed to offering them the assistance they need while making it very costly for those who seek to purchase sex.”
