A 39-year-old man from Joliet appeared in court Saturday after felony charges were approved earlier in the week stemming from an undercover operation that determined he was trafficking another person for prostitution, Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart announced Sunday.
On Wednesday, the sheriff’s office vice unit responded to an ad on a website for commercial sex solicitations. Afterward, an undercover investigator from the unit met at a Bridgeview motel with the victim, who agreed to engage in sexual acts in exchange for cash. Other investigators then entered the room, where they learned that the victim was reportedly being trafficked by James Hardeman of the 2200 block of Tamarack Drive in Joliet, according to the sheriff’s office. Investigators found Hardeman waiting outside near the room and took him into custody.
Law enforcement officials said an additional investigation revealed the victim had been recruited into commercial sex work in November, and that Hardeman had been keeping the earnings. The victim has been put in touch with the sheriff’s office’s police victim support services team, a unit led by survivors who support and provide resources to people involved in trafficking and domestic violence.
On Thursday, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office approved felony charges of one count each of promoting prostitution, trafficking for labor/recruits, trafficking for labor/benefits and involuntary solitude causing financial harm. Hardeman’s first court hearing was Saturday at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse.