Pimp Trafficks Women and Girls in Bolingbrook, Illinois

CHICAGO- The Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE) and the End Demand Illinois campaign encourage awareness about the demand for the sex trade in light of the Chicago Sun-Times’ report today that a 17-year-old girl was recruited, raped and trafficked for sex by a pimp in Bolingbrook, Illinois.

“As we listen to the trauma this young woman has endured, it’s crucial to remember the invisible criminals in this story: men who bought sex from trafficked women and girls in Bolingbrook and the surrounding area,” said Rachel Durchslag, executive director and founder of the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation. “Until we end the demand, there will be no end to this exploitation.”

One Chicago study found that the average age of entry into prostitution was 16 years old. This federal case reveals once again that pimps are often sex traffickers; under federal and Illinois law anyone who profits from a minor’s participation in the sex trade can be charged with human trafficking. Illinois is a national leader in responding to minor sex trafficking. In 2010, CAASE led the passage of the Illinois Safe Children Act, which ends the prosecution of minors for prostitution; instead minors in the sex trade are offered supportive social services.

CAASE urges the community to support law enforcement efforts to hold pimps, johns and traffickers accountable. Offering free online toolkits on www.caase.org, CAASE help communities raise awareness and advocate for laws and policies to end the demand for sex trafficked and prostituted people. “Effort like to curb the demand for the sex trade are a good use of resources and bolster the public’s safety,” said Lynne Johnson, policy and advocacy director for the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation. “By standing against those who buy sex, we stand for the end of exploitation of women and girls in the commercial sex trade.”

Women in prostitution face tremendous violence and abuse, often at the hands of johns. Even purchasers who are not violent are often buying sex from trafficked people or minors and are fueling the exploitation of women and girls. CAASE’s research on 113 local johns revealed that only 7% had ever been arrested for buying sex.

CAASE is the lead agency for End Demand Illinois, a statewide campaign to hold pimps, johns and sex traffickers accountable. End Demand Illinois advocates for new tools and resources for law enforcement to investigate and convict traffickers, pimps, and the people who are buying sex. Simultaneously, the campaign works to support the development of a statewide infrastructure of supportive services for people who have been prostituted or trafficked.

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 and www.enddemandillinois.org or call (773) 244-2230 ext. 3. ###