Cook County Participates in Nationwide Sex Sting
Recently, the Cook County Sheriff’s office, in addition to police in Aurora and Elgin, participated in a nationwide prostitution sting – dubbed “The National Day of Johns Arrest” – in an effort to arrest those soliciting prostitution and various sex acts.
Nationwide the sting resulted in more than 200 arrests, the majority of which were for solicitation. According to the Chicago Tribune, locally, police in Aurora arrested eight men for solicitation while Elgin police made six arrests. The sting – which was the first of its kind nationwide – focused on commercial sex over the internet, in brothels and on the streets, according to statement issued by the Sheriff’s office.
Entrapment in Illinois
As sex crime allegations are extremely serious, those accused need to be aware of their rights and defenses. One such defense that may be available in Illinois for sex crimes is the defense of entrapment.
Generally, entrapment is a valid defense in Illinois when the accused is induced or incited to commit a criminal act by a public agent – such as a police officer – for the ultimate purpose of obtaining evidence to prosecute the accused. This particular defense is actually codified in Illinois’s Criminal Code. In order to use the entrapment defense in Illinois, the accused must show:
- The idea of concept of committing the offense originated with the State
- The State actively encouraged the accused to commit the offense
- The State originated the idea and encouraged the offense for the purpose of collecting evidence to prosecute the accused
- The accused was not predisposed to commit the offense
Just as with entrapment, the rest of the law and defenses surrounding sex crimes in Illinois can be extremely complex and difficult to navigate – not to mention the stigma associated with a sex crime conviction can follow a person their entire life – which makes it even more crucial to contact an experienced sex crime defense attorney to be advised of all of your potential defenses and options.
