Protest To Be Held Outside Grand Motel Where 10-Year-Old Girl Was Sexually Assaulted; Abuser In Case Remains At Large
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A protest will be held Wednesday outside of Room 324 of the Grand Motel.
It was at the motel, 10022 S. Halsted St., where a 10-year-old girl was taken to the top floor and sexually assaulted by a 47-year-old man last October.
Concerned motel workers called the police, but officers failed to arrest the man or even take the girl to the hospital for a rape kit.
To date, this abuser has not been charged or arrested.
A total of five men are accused of assaulting the 10-year-old girl in a string of sexual assaults dating back to when she was just 7 years old.
Officers finally arrested one of these predators, Samuel Brown, 37, earlier this month.
A 22-year-old man is also reported to have taken little girl from Chicago to a home in Gary, Indiana, where he is accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting her.
The child was gone for days when police finally got a tip and traced the suspect's cell phone number. He was eventually arrested – but only on misdemeanor charges.
The Chicago Police Department launched an internal investigation into its mishandling of the abuse case, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot also called out the systematic failures that allowed these predators to remain free.
Brenda Myers-Powell, a local advocate appointed to the United States Council on Human Trafficking, will be one of those calling for an arrest and police reforms related to child sex trafficking victims at the protest on Wednesday.
"This is a show of support, not just for this little girl, but for every little girl in Chicago who has slipped through the system," Myers-Powell said.
The protest will take place at 99th and Halsted streets at 11 a.m.