Three sailors in Great Lakes, Ill., were arrested in late June as part of an anti-human trafficking operation in Lake County.
by Heather Monglio for USNI News
The three sailors were arrested along with 24 other men, all charged with one count of soliciting a sexual act, according to a Lake County Sheriff’s Office release. The men were released pending a court date.
Quartermaster 1st Class Mathew Reynolds, 23, a staff member assigned to Recruit Training Command, Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class Essodong Tchakpala, 25, a staff member assigned to Surface Warfare Engineering School Command, and Hull Maintenance Technician Fireman Apprentice Hakeem Moore, 22, a student assigned to Surface Warfare Engineering School Command, were arrested, according to the release.
While Lake County Sheriff’s Office led the operation, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service assisted. A NCIS spokesperson told USNI News that it is currently an active investigation.
“The Navy takes allegations of solicitation and human trafficking seriously and is cooperating fully with local law enforcement,” Cmdr. Laura K. Stegherr, spokesperson for Naval Education and Training Command, told USNI News.
According to charging documents, provided by Lake County, the three sailors each offered undercover agents varying amounts of money for a sexual act.
Tchakpala declined to comment on his arrest when reached by USNI News. Moore could not be reached for comment. Reynolds did not return a request for comment.
Reynolds, Tchakpala and Moore are scheduled for an arraignment on July 30. Solicitation of a sexual act is a misdemeanor in Illinois.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Special Investigations Group spent two days targeting people who attempted to purchase sex through online advertisements, according to the release.
Undercover officers posed as the sex workers, and when the defendants arrived at a hotel in Lake County, they were arrested.
“While some may perceive prostitution as a consensual transaction between adults, experience and investigative work have consistently shown that many individuals being sold for sex are not participating willingly,” reads the release. “Traffickers often force victims into prostitution through physical violence, manipulation, fraud, or coercion. Many of these victims are vulnerable and live in fear of the repercussions they’ll face if they do not comply, often being forced to surrender any money they receive to their trafficker.”
Read the original article in its entirety at USNI News.
Re: the three Great Lakes Sailors arrested for solicitation — Wow, imagine that! A Sailor pursuing sex from a prostitute! A misdemeanor! Does NCIS not have anything more important to do? Like investigate sex traffickers or other more serious criminal offenses. Must be a slow day at NSNI News. Of all the newsworthy items out there, this is not one of them.
The big issue is, of course, taxes missed.
This makes me so proud of the military….too bad a few rotten eggs have to do this to the rest…..I guess, just like what the FBI leaders did to make the FBI working field people look bad too.