As Kane County grapples with human trafficking reports, brothels pose a threat—right under the noses of local authorities.
Elgin Community College’s (ECC) Criminal Justice Conversations speaker series organized a human trafficking forum with Kane County officials.e
“That’s what we’ve seen, probably the most,” Gregory Spayth, a speaker from the Kane County Attorney’s office said.“Between brothels and massage parlors, that’s the bulk of our work and you’d be surprised—it’s in every town in Kane county.”
Under Illinois law 720 5/11-14, brothels, pandering, and prostitution are strictly illegal. It is unpermitted to own, or profit from a place where prostitution occurs; including renting space with the knowledge that it will be put towards for sex labor.
A brothel is a house or disguised business where commercial sex is exchanged, explained Spayth. “People may not even realize they’re being trafficked; they might just think they have a bad employer,” said Christina Bayer, another speaker from the Kane County Attorney’s office.
For a case to qualify, the perpetrator must employ the means of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit commercial sex, acts, labor, or services, Bayer explained. “There must be an illegal action involved.”
“Now, very knowledgeable prosecutors will not charge the sex workers, but that’s not how it is everywhere,” Jamie Mosser, the State’s Kane County Attorney General, said.
“Somehow, decriminalizing the acts of the trafficking victims is what we need to do; while still going in and effectively investigating the situation,” Mosser expressed.
In 2025, Cook County Sheriff’s Police arrested 25 men in a sting operation targeting clients of prostitution.
“People were brought here under false pretenses,” Bayer said. “Women were told they had an exorbitant debt that they had to pay off and the fastest way to pay it off was to be involved in commercial sex.”
The Department of Homeland Security launched the Blue Campaign in 2010. A campaign that underscores an effort towards encouraging a victim-centered approach, by prioritizing the dignity and safety of victims who interact with law enforcement.
The victims may be hesitant to come forward due to fear, attachment, or abuse, explained Spayth.
“We don’t interview those people [victims] right away. We give them 48 to 72 hours in most cases, then bring them in and slowly try to interview them.” Brian Polkington said, a featured speaker from the Kane County States Attorney’s Office.
“Oftentimes you will get people’s services—the help that they need—you’ll have them on the right track, and they will turn right back around and go to their trafficker,”said Spayth.“They may be uncertain about whether authorities can help, and it hinders an ability to seek support.”
Brothel operations act as a direct violation of both Illinois state law and federal human trafficking statutes.
In 2023, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Justice Program awarded more than $100 million to empower communities to respond to human trafficking, offering essential services to survivors, and supporting research regarding effective methods to combat human trafficking.
The Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office launched their Human Trafficking Unit in 2025, and according to Mosser, rates have not been stagnant.
“We opened a number of investigations then, and we’re already trending above what we’re investigating in Kane County. I think, anecdotally, this is what I’ve heard from other State’s Attorney throughout Illinois, is that they are dealing with the same increase in crime.”
In 2025, an Aurora man pled guilty to a 13-year prison sentence for operating a prostitution ring. According to Mosser, each count against the man included a different victim.
Between 2020 and 2021, prosecutors found that Jamar Hare operated a brothel scheme from which he financially profited, through collecting payments from men having sex with the women he supplied.
“Traffickers will not discourage someone from becoming pregnant, from having a child, or from having a pet. A pet is a big thing,” Spayth pointed. “How do you escape when they have possession of something you care for when you’re away?”
“A lot of times we ask our law enforcement when they’re going into places, ‘are people sleeping there?’ A factory where people are sleeping, that’s a red flag.” Polkington said.
Law enforcement work in tandem with Kane county’s Human Exploitation Unit (HEU) to report suspicious activity.
“If we hear about information, we can initiate our own investigation in conjunction with the Sheriff’s Office. We then contact local law enforcement—it’s better to be a mulit-use agency where we’re just cooperating with everyone.” Mosser explained.
By combining law enforcement vigilance and community engagement, officials hope to create an environment where traffickers find difficulties in operating illegal schemes.
