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FORSYTH, Ill. (WCIA) — Five men were arrested in Forsyth during a two-day human trafficking demand suppression operation carried out by Illinois State Police this week.
The operation was conducted by State Police’s Division of Criminal Investigation Trafficking Enforcement Group on Aug. 21-22 in Macon County. This operation focused on identifying people looking to engage in commercial sex acts.
As a result of the operation, these five men were arrested and charged with the following:
- 58-year-old Thad E. Olson of Bloomington – Charged with:
- Traveling to meet a minor (Class 3 Felony)
- Solicitation to meet a child (Class 4 Felony)
- 34-year-old Robert W. Danbury of Decatur – Charged with:
- Indecent solicitation of a minor (Class 3 Felony)
- Traveling to meet a minor (Class 3 Felony)
- Solicitation to meet a child (Class 4 Felony)
- 54-year-old Benito Rojas-Martinez of Urbana – Charged with:
- Indecent solicitation of a child (Class 3 Felony)
- Traveling to meet a minor (Class 3 Felony)
- Solicitation to meet a child (Class 4 Felony)
- Grooming (Class 4 Felony)
- 54-year-old Luke V. Nguyen of Peoria – Charged with:
- Indecent solicitation of a child (Class 3 Felony)
- Traveling to meet a minor (Class 3 Felony)
- Solicitation to meet a child (Class 4 Felony)
- Grooming (Class 4 Felony)
- 69-year-old David R. Martin of Bethany, Iowa – Charged with:
- Solicitation of a child (Class 3 Felony)
- Traveling to meet a minor (Class 3 Felony)
- Solicitation to meet a child (Class 4 Felony)
- Grooming (Class 4 Felony)
This operation was part of a multifaceted approach by State Police aimed at stopping human trafficking in Illinois. The following agencies partnered to carry out this operation:
- The Illinois Trafficking Enforcement Group
- East Central Illinois Drug Task Force
- North Central Narcotics Task Force
- Task Force 6
- Vermilion Metropolitan Enforcement Group
- ISP Zone 4 Special Agents
- ISP SWAT
- ISP Intelligence Support Unit
- ISP Division of Patrol – Special Operations Group-Central
The Macon County State’s Attorney’s Office also provided support during the operation.
“Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person into commercial sex acts, labor, or services against their will,” State Police said in a press release. “ISP continues its multifaceted approach toward protecting those most vulnerable with its ongoing statewide human trafficking enforcement operations.”
State Police is also warning Illinois residents that the signs of human trafficking are often subtle. To learn more about these signs, visit Recognizing the Signs | National Human Trafficking Hotline.
If you suspect human trafficking, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text *233733. For more information, visit humantraffickinghotline.org or email isp.crimetips@illinois.gov.
