Chicago Pimp Convicted of Trafficking Girls as Young as 12

CHICAGO-The sex trafficking conviction of a pimp in Chicago today is a sign of progress in the fight to end the commercial sexual exploitation of women and girls. The Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE) urges awareness about the prevalence of this issue in our community. Datqunn Sawyer trafficked girls as young as 12, selling them for sex both on the street and via internet ads. “This case reveals the violence and harm that sex traffickers are causing to women and girls right here in Chicago,” said Rachel Durchslag, CAASE’s executive director.

It’s estimated that, on any given day in Chicagoland, there are more than 16,000 women and girls involved in prostitution. Sex trafficking is simply the use of force to recruit or keep a person in the sex trade, and this happens every day in Chicago in both indoor and outdoor venues. Commercial sexual exploitation of girls and women could not thrive without a demand for paid sex. “Johns, or people who buy sex, drive the demand for the sex trade,” Durchslag said.  “Holding johns, pimps and traffickers accountable is essential to ending sexual exploitation in the community.”

Studies show that the majority of women in prostitution suffered sexual abuse as children. CAASE’s research of 113 johns in Chicago revealed that purchasers knew about these harms, but bought sex from prostituted people anyway.

CAASE is the lead agency for End Demand Illinois, the first campaign in the country that strives to change state laws to hold traffickers and perpetrators accountable and to provide supportive services to people impacted by the sex trade. To learn more about the campaign, visit www.enddemandillinois.org

The Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation is committed to building a global community free from sexual exploitation. It is founded on the belief that all forms of sexual exploitation – including sexual assault and the commercial sex trade – are detrimental to a healthy society and undermine the dignity of all people. To learn more, visit www.caase.org or call (773) 244-2230 ext. 3. ###