Lake County Gazette

Many Illinois residents are unaware of the extent of human trafficking in the state, said state Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich).

Increasing awareness of the problem is a first step toward solving it, the lawmaker said in a video statement.

“People are aware that human trafficking is happening around the world but they don’t fully understand that it’s happening right here in our communities,” he said. “It’s happening right here in your back yard. The more that we can be aware of the victimhood of human trafficking, the more can we do to help those victims.”

Criminal justice reform is needed as well, Bos said.

“We need to go after those perpetrators, especially those who are going after children and throw the book at them,” he said.

There also needs to be more help for the victims, the legislator said.

“Currently here in Illinois, there’s only one safe house for minor children who are victims of sex trafficking,” Bos said. “We need to do better.”

Illinois ranked eleventh in the nation for the most cases of human trafficking, a 2018 state study found.

“The top venues for sex trafficking in Illinois were hotels, residence-based commercial sex, illicit massage businesses, escort services, and online ads,” it said.

The reported highlighted Cook County, which sends all misdemeanor prostitution cases to one courtroom and connects the defendants to social service agencies.

Also in Cook County, youth that are involved with juvenile probation can be referred for a “commercial sexual exploitation of children risk measurement, the report said.

A similar program is offered in Winnebago County.

“In this courtroom model, courtroom staff, including the assistant State’s Attorney and public defender, engage in training to understand human trafficking,” the report said. “The model presents an opportunity for those charged with prostitution to engage with service providers.”