Woman who ignored subpoena in prostitution case picked up in Champaign
A downstate woman who claimed her boyfriend and his friend sold her as a prostitute has been taken into custody in Champaign for ignoring a Lake County court-issued subpoena, authorities said.
The woman, who is not being identified unless charges are filed against her, was wanted after she failed to show up in court Monday for the trial of her boyfriend, Aaron Thurmond, 23, and Jeffrey Horton, 27, both of Chicago.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Fred Day said the woman was picked up by Lake County authorities Thursday and is expected to appear in court Friday.
If charges are going to be filed against her, it would happen Friday, officials said.
As a result, the trial against Horton and Thurmond has been pushed back until July 22, Day said.
Thurmond and Horton have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of involuntary servitude, trafficking in persons and promoting prostitution following their arrest by Mundelein police on April 3.
The men were traveling with the Champaign-area woman when they were pulled over by police for driving with their headlights off at about 11:15 p.m., authorities said.
During the traffic stop, the woman told police she was being forced to work as a prostitute by Thurmond and Horton, and the three were heading from a client in Wauconda to meet a client in Antioch.
That Antioch client turned out to be Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Eric Francke, 33, of Antioch, authorities said. Francke was charged in May with obstructing justice/destroying evidence and solicitation of a sex act. He has since been placed on administrative leave from the sheriff’s office without pay.
Francke was also due to appear in court Thursday, but his hearing will be continued to sometime in July, prosecutors said.
Horton was freed from custody shortly after his arrest after posting the required 10 percent of his $50,000 bail. Thurmond remains held in Lake County jail on $250,000 bail.
Defense attorneys for Horton and Thurmond contend the woman now says she was never forced to work as a prostitute.
She was subpoenaed to appear in court Monday, but didn’t show up and a warrant was issued for her arrest.