Chicago forms new task force to fight sex trade - Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News

Chicago forms new task force to fight sex trade

They call it a "Playaz Ball": a celebration of the "pimpin" image so familiar, it's gone commercial. Rachel Durchslag, who works for the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, says it shouldn't be entertaining, and it's not always so obvious.

"People pimp who are mothers, they pimp who are all different races," Durchslag said.

This trafficker does fit the stereotype, but Datqunn Sawyer's days of partying and pimping are over. Last month he started serving a 50-year sentence.

A woman who FOX Chicago News identified as "Sally" said she led police to Sawyer, who specialized inputting young girls on the street, including Sally's three daughters.

"They were living at home, and then leaving, prostituting, when they felt like it," Sally said.

Her youngest daughter was 14-years-old at the time.

Sally became suspicious when she overheard a conversation when her daughter's cell phone dialed her on accident.

"I could hear them talking, him and a lot of little girls in the car, and him calling them names,and her telling him what she just did with one of the guys," Sally said.

She heard them mention an intersection, so she went there.

"I was shocked because I literally seen girls get in cars. Little girls, getting in cars. Looked at them kids, they couldn't walk in high heels," Sally said.

According to FBI agent Gregory Wing, many of the girls involved have been listed as missing.

"These girls are victimized, these girls are enslaved, a lot of these girls who are involved are missing, runaway, throwaway people," Agent Wing said.

But this time, this dude chose the wrong mothers daughters. Sally tracked him to his home, and sent cops to his door. Sgt. Nick Roti of the Organized Crime Bureau said they immediately knew something was amiss.

"They realized that something was wrong there," Roti said. "They saw other young girls; they took it upon themselves to start interviewing some people and they realized that the girls were being prostituted."

At roll calls around the city, Chicago cops are getting a new command on prostitution, and it paid off. The beat officers called the FBI and the joint task force took the case to another level, targeting the pimp.

On calls recorded even after his arrest, Datqunn Sawyer was controlling his girls. Victim specialist Patrice Heelan says most were still too frightened, or attached, to cooperate with police.

"These victims are trained from the get-go by the trafficker not to trust law enforcement," Heelan said. "So they will be abused, but will go back to their abuser because they've developed this emotional tie."

Sally agrees that it was obvious how terrified the girls were.

"Every last one of those girls was scared - you could hear it in their voices, and then for him to have a daughter of his own... I just couldn't imagine him doing that to somebody's child," Sally said.

Police eventually made a case tying Sawyer to the trafficking of 17 young girls. His 50 year sentence a major victory for what is now the Chicago crimes against children task force.

"What we've been hearing from our sources on the streets is that everybody's really panicked now," Agent Wing said. "They are watching, and that's exactly the message we'd like to send, that you cannot victimize our children on the streets."

For more information about rescuing sex workers in Chicago, head to TheDreamcatcherFoundation.Org, a group founded by former prostitutes.

If you have any information regarding human trafficking, please contact police at:

Chicago Police 24 hr hotline - Chicago Crimes Against Children Task Force

312-746-7510

OR

FBI - 24hr hotline - Human Trafficking Task Force

312-421-6700