Arlington Heights Among I-90 Destinations for Prostitutes, Clients

The motel room had a few telltale signs that something wasn’t quite right.

Arlington Heights detectives had knocked on the door looking for a man wanted on a warrant. They found the man along with a girl, and evidence, like condom wrappers and a ledger of prostitution, Commander Mike Hernandez said.

The man and woman, who provided an obviously fake ID listing her age as 24, were taken into custody for suspicion of prostitution, he said. The man, Kevin Chavers, of Loves Park, was later charged with involuntary sexual servitude and human trafficking for pimping the girl, whose real age is 16.

Chavers’ bond was set at $350,000. The girl was released to the custody of a relative.

Prostitution arrests and investigations are the norm for Arlington Heights police and police are working to address it. Chavers' was the third arrest this year for prostitution.

“Information that we’ve gathered is it’s not just in Arlington Heights, it’s along the I-90 where hotels are situated,” Hernandez said. “It’s a destination for prostitutes. We’ve arrested prostitutes from across the country and they identify this area as lucrative.”

Detectives know about the area’s reputation so the department does periodic checks on hotels and works with hotel management to identify any illegal activities.

“We have a good working relationship with the hotels. If they suspect prostitution (or any illegal activity) they call us and we initiate an investigation,” Hernandez said.

Police also go on websites known to include classified ads offering "adult entertainment." Detectives make calls to arrange meetings with the people posting ads and do a sting, he said. Craigslist had been a popular site for those types of posts in the past, but detectives are finding other websites have become more popular, he said.

One site is known for its "adult section" where anyone can advertise for escorts, body rubs and other services labled "adult entertainment." The posts include photos and locations the women, and men, are either based at or will travel to.

Prostitutes and customers come from all over the Northwest suburbs and Chicago. Last month, two Round Lake women were arrested on prostitution charges. Last year, two California women were arrested.

Arlington Heights police have not seen any cases similar to one in Woodstock where a man answered an ad on Craigslist and was shot by the woman’s husband. The husband, Tim Smith, 28, was convicted of murder last month.

“So far, we have not had anything like that,” Hernandez said, recalling hearing about the Woodstock case, and added that there is always an inherent danger in meeting strangers online, he said.