5 Charged In Suburban Sex Trafficking Operation

KANE COUNTY, IL — Four men and one woman faces charges for operating a sex trafficking operation at various locations in the suburbs.

A $5 million bail has been set for Hector Briseno, 54, Christian Hurtado, 27, Daniel Hurtado, 26, Martha P. Hurtado-Hernandez, 57, and Rigoberto Parra, 46. They are charged with aggravated involuntary servitude, trafficking in persons for labor, promoting prostitution for profit and involuntary servitude.

Between Feb. 17 and July 19, the five are accused of engaging in a conspiracy to subject seven women to commercial sexual activity by causing or threatening physical harm to at least one of the women.

The women were flown from South America to the U.S. and the trafficking operations happened in apartments in quiet residential areas in different towns in the suburbs, said St. Charles Police Department Chief James Keegan during a press conference Thursday.

The women were in their early 20s to early 30s, he said. The accused advertised the women through word of mouth and also used business cards, he said.

Police say the five people who are charged transported the women to the locations to engage and also physically restrained the women by confining them to a residence, intimidated them with threats if they did not engage in the sexual activity and maintained financial control over them.

The seven women were taken into protective custody Wednesday morning and one was treated at a local hospital after complaining of stomach pain, Keegan said.

Keegan said they do expect more victims to come forward and that authorities are continuing to investigate the sex trafficking "enterprise."

The five are next expected in court on July 28.