Michigan Man Convicted Of Sex Trafficking At Hotel
CHICAGO (WWJ/AP) - A 28-year-old Michigan man has been convicted of sex trafficking for allegedly bringing a woman and two teens to a suburban Chicago hotel to prostitute.
Fabriel Delaney, formerly of Palatine, was a resident of Kalamazoo when he was arrested in 2011 by FBI agents. A federal jury found Delaney guilty of all eight counts against him, including sex trafficking by force, fraud, coercion and sex trafficking of minors.
Prosecutors alleged that Delaney, also known as "Face," drove the three victims from the Kalamazoo area to Tinley Park, expecting to take them to what he believed was a bachelor party, where they would engage in sex with 10 to 12 men for $150 to $300 per customer. Instead, he was snared in a sting resulting from an investigation into his activities that began in 2010.
All three victims, who were 16, 17, and 20-years-old at the time, testified about their prior involvement with Delaney at the trial. They testified that, at first, Delaney took half of the money they were paid and, later, took all of the money they were paid, after advertising their services on various Internet websites. The adult victim testified that Delaney threatened her by holding a hot iron next to her face. The other girls also spoke about beatings and threats of violence from Delaney.
The investigation began in September 2010 when Illinois State Police made a traffic stop in Will County and found Delaney driving with three female passengers, including one of the minor victims, who Delaney was sex-trafficking at a hotel in the Joliet area. Delaney typically met customers in a hotel parking lot to ensure they were not undercover police before sending them to the victim's hotel room.
Prosecutors say Delaney faces up to life in prison when sentenced Dec. 10.
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