Aurora man charged with trafficking West Virginia teen

A DuPage County judge on Saturday denied release for an Aurora man accused of trafficking an 18-year-old West Virginia female into prostitution.

Christopher Munger, 43, of the 100 block of N. Gregory St., is charged with trafficking, involuntary servitude and promoting prostitution.

Aurora Police Department Special Operations Group received information on Nov. 22 about online advertisements for prostitution, according to a prepared statement from the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office. The investigation led to Munger’s address where authorities say the alleged prostitution occurred.

On Dec. 11, undercover Aurora police officers arranged to meet the woman to engage in sex acts, according to prosecutors. At the time of the appointment, the officer gave the woman $400 which she slid under another door in the residence.

Prosecutors say the officer had a brief conversation with the woman and told her he was leaving. As he exited the room the officer saw a man, later identified as Munger, pick up the money. Police then took the defendant into custody.

Prosecutors say Munger met the woman online, drove to West Virginia and drove back with her to Aurora. The woman, who has no family in West Virginia, was reported missing when she did not return to the group home where she was living, authorities said.

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin described the charges against Munger as appalling.

“The alleged exploitation of this young woman, whom he allegedly brought from her home to a place where she knew no one and forced her into the sex for his own monetary gain, should send a chill down the spine of each and every one of us,” Berlin said in a prepared statement in which he commended Aurora police for their “ongoing efforts in going after those who would force young women into a life of prostitution for their own personal gain.”

Aurora Police Chief Keith Cross praised residents who informed the police about the situation.

“Their actions played a vital role in ensuring the victim received help sooner rather than later,” said Cross in a prepared statement. “While cases like this are not common in Aurora, once we were made aware, we committed significant resources to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure no detail was overlooked.”