Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Slavery In Chicago

The slave next door: Illinois police rescued a mentally challenged 15-year old girl from sexual servitude this week, after spotting her flagging down cars late at night, dressed by her traffickers in only a bra and fishnet stockings. The traffickers "both face charges of Involuntary Sexual Servitude of a Minor and Trafficking in Persons for Forced Labor or Services", according to Chicago's WGN news site:
The victim told officers that she was recruited by Petterson about three weeks prior to the incident. The victim also told officers the defendants would pick her up from her home and drive her to the West Side of Chicago to perform sex acts for money. The defendants would take all of the money the victim earned and provide her with marijuana and alcohol, according to the victim. She also told police that the defendants provided her with a cell phone and clothes to wear while she worked for them. The victim's cell phone was found to have Mondane's number programmed into it.

The defendants were arrested and appeared in court over the weekend, where bail was set at $150,000 for Petterson and $250,000 for Mondane. Preliminary hearings are set to begin for both defendants Aug. 23. If convicted, they face a maximum of 30 years in prison.