More Than a Dozen Men Arrested in Sheriff’s Police “John” Sting Operation
More Than a Dozen Men Arrested in Sheriff’s Police “John” Sting Operation (Cook County, IL) – Officers with the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Special Victims Unit arrested 16 men and towed 11 vehicles as part of an undercover operation targeting individuals seeking to buy sex on the internet, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced today.
On Wednesday, Dec. 15, SVU officers set up a sting operation in Bedford Park after
placing ads online using websites that are known for advertising sexual services. During the course of the operation, 16 men responded to the ads and traveled to the designated location, where they solicited sex from an undercover officer in exchange for money. Each man was then arrested and issued a $1,000 citation for violation of the Cook County public morals nuisance ordinance.
A total of 11 vehicles were towed under the ordinance, requiring the vehicle owner to pay $500 to reclaim possession. Sheriff’s Police have arrested and fined more than 250 individuals this year as part of their ongoing strategy to reduce the demand for sex trafficking by aggressively pursuing those who seek to purchase sex, and the Office continues to offer services and support to trafficked individuals.
Sheriff Dart
Sheriff Tom Dart has dedicated his career to challenging injustice, fighting the violence plaguing our communities, and bringing a new and thoughtful approach to public service.
After serving as a prosecutor and an Illinois state legislator, Sheriff Dart ran for Cook County Sheriff in 2006, promising to bring his reformative vision to the role. In the ensuing years, he has rewritten the book on what a Sheriff can accomplish, looking inside and outside of the conventions of law enforcement for nuanced and thoughtful solutions.
Sheriff Dart started by instituting extensive programming at the Cook County Jail, seeking to give individuals in custody skills that help to stop the revolving door of incarceration. Within the jail, the Sheriff sought out creative programming in the areas of art, chess, construction, cooking, gardening, parenting, and literacy, all of which help foster social and emotional growth for individuals in custody while they await trial.
More Than a Dozen Men Arrested in Sheriff’s Police “John” Sting Operation.
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