6 years in prison for man seeking sex from 15-year-old in Aurora
A Chicago man convicted of paying for a sexual encounter with a child in Aurora has been sent to prison for six years.
Marek P. Gacierz, 34, of the 3700 block of North Octavia Street in Chicago, was sentenced Friday after he was convicted in June of involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, traveling to meet a minor and grooming - all felonies. Gacierz was one of eight people arrested in December 2014 and January 2015 as Homeland Security Investigations and Aurora police conducted a sting targeting sexual deviants.
Prosecutors during Gacierz's bench trial that concluded this summer said he traveled Jan. 8, 2015, from Chicago to an Aurora hotel to have sex with a person he believed would be a 15-year-old girl.
When he arrived at the hotel, Gacierz met a person he believed to be the 15-year-old's mother and paid the woman $150 for sexual favors from the girl, at which point officers took him into custody, authorities said.
Gacierz will receive credit for 176 days served in Kane County jail. In addition to his six-year prison sentence, he also has to register for 10 years as a sex offender.
Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon said in a news release that law enforcement agencies at all levels are committed to stopping offenders like Gacierz and ending the exploitation of children.