North Chicago is a suburb of the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Lake County, Illinois, with a population of about 31,000 residents. Prostitution and sex trafficking in the area have been well-documented, and police have targeted consumer-level demand in their responses. For example, in July and August 2016, four men were arrested and charged with solicitation of a sex act when the Lake County Sheriff’s Office participated in a “National Johns Suppression” operation in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Undercover officers in the Sheriff’s Gang Task Force and Criminal Investigations Division placed ads on a classified advertising website. After arranging meetings with undercover detectives, appearing, and offering money for sex acts, four men were arrested. The sheriff’s office identified the men in press releases.

Loss of employment is another consequence of buying sex that has occurred in the city. For example, in September 2017, a North Chicago police officer was indicted by a Lake County grand jury on charges of official misconduct, patronizing a prostitute, and solicitation of a sexual act. The indictment resulted in a no-bond arrest warrant, and officials from the Lake County State’s Attorney’s office arranged a surrender with the man’s attorney. Upon learning of potential misconduct by the officer in question, the North Chicago Police Department opened an internal investigation to determine whether the officer violated any policies and worked with the state’s attorney’s office on the case. In June 2018, the officer resigned before the internal investigation was completed, and then pleaded guilty to charge of patronizing a prostitute in Lake County Circuit Court and was sentenced to 12 months probation. Charges against the former officer resulted from a joint investigation conducted by the North Chicago Police Department and investigators from the Lake County State’s Attorney’s office. The officer resigned from his position months earlier, and because he pleaded guilty to a felony, the defendant was no longer eligible to work as a police officer. Under the plea deal, in exchange for the guilty plea for patronizing, the remaining charges were dismissed. Conditions of his sentence and probation include 75 hours of public service work, no contact with persons involved in the incident, and a $750 fine as well as court costs.