COOK COUNTY, IL – A Cook County Sheriff‟s Vice Unit investigation has led to the arrest of a 31-year-old man for promoting prostitution, Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced today.
Blake Steckel, of Elk Grove Village, is scheduled to appear for a bond hearing this afternoon at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse. He has been charged with promoting prostitution, a class 4 felony.
Elk Grove Village Man Arrested for Promoting Prostitution Online
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— Cardinal News (@EarlyReport) March 6, 2015
On Feb. 27, Vice Unit members learned that a man called “Blake” had arranged prostitution for financial gain in the Northwest suburbs and had advertised prostitution on Backpage.com.
During their investigation, Vice Unit members identified the man as Steckel. He was arrested on Thursday, March 5 at his residence in Elk Grove Village.
Backpage.com is a classified advertisement website whose „Escorts‟ pages serve as prominent hubs for prostitution and sex trafficking. Since 2009, the Sheriff‟s Vice Unit has made approximately 750
arrests from Backpage.com ads.
Steckel is the 51st vice unit arrest for involuntary servitude, human trafficking or promoting prostitution since 2007. The majority of those investigations originated from online ads for prostitution.
Sheriff Dart reminds the public that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty by the government in a court of law.
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