State police announced the arrests of four suspects following a human trafficking demand suppression operation in Lake County where they allegedly traveled to meet with a child for sex.
The Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation Trafficking Enforcement Bureau announced Friday the arrests of Timothy Hansen, 57, of Lake Bluff; Elijah Newell, 40, of Chicago; Sean Powers, 38, of Geneva; and Edas Romero-Chinchilla, 32, of Round Lake Heights.
The four suspects were arrested during a two-day human trafficking demand suppression operation on Tuesday and Wednesday in Lincolnshire.
State police say the operation focused on identifying people seeking to engage in commercial sex acts.
Hansen was charged with traveling to meet a minor, indecent solicitation of a child, solicitation to meet a child and solicitation of a sexual act.
Newell was charged with traveling to meet a minor, indecent solicitation of a child, solicitation to meet a child and solicitation of a sexual act.
Powers was charged with traveling to meet a minor, indecent solicitation of a child, solicitation to meet a child and solicitation of a sexual act.
Romero-Chinchilla was charged with traveling to meet a minor, indecent solicitation of a child, solicitation to meet a child and solicitation of a sexual act.
Prosecutors said an undercover agent posted an advertisement on an online site with explicit photos.
The four men responded to the ad and communicated with the undercover agent, who told the men that she was 16 years old, prosecutors said.
The four suspects were arrested after meeting up with the “child” at a hotel in exchange for money, prosecutors said.
The operation was part of a multi-faceted approach by the state police aimed at stopping human trafficking in Illinois.
ISP special agents, officers from Troops 3 and 6, ISP SWAT, ISP analysts, the North Central Narcotics Task Force, the Intelligence Support Unit and the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group partnered for the operation.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office also provided support for the operation.
The state’s attorney’s office filed petitions to detain Romero-Chinchilla, Powers, Newell and Hansen in the Lake County Jail pending trial.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the petitions to detain for Newell and Hansen during separate detention hearings on Thursday afternoon.
The petition to detain for Powers will be ruled on during a detention hearing on Friday afternoon. The status of the detention ruling for Romero-Chinchilla was not immediately clear in court records.
“Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person into commercial sex acts, labor, or services against their will. ​ISP continues its multifaceted approach toward protecting those most vulnerable with its ongoing statewide human trafficking enforcement operations,” the state police said.
Anyone who suspects human trafficking is asked to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or text *233733.