Fourth accused St. Charles sex trafficker pleads guilty

The fourth person of five charged with sex trafficking at a St. Charles hotel in 2023 has agreed to a five-and-a-half-year prison term.

Daniel Hurtado, 27, of Elgin, pleaded guilty to one count of felony trafficking in persons.

Hurtado had been charged with 11 counts of involuntary servitude, four counts of promoting prostitution and one count of trafficking in persons, all felonies. Circuit Court Judge David Kliment accepted the plea agreement.

St. Charles police led the probe, which broke up a human trafficking syndicate. Authorities rescued seven women who were being sex trafficked in brothels located in a west side apartment in St. Charles and in South Elgin, Elgin, Hanover Park, Palatine and Chicago.

Assistant State’s Attorney Robert Dore described the horrors the sex-trafficked women endured.

House rules required them to work 12 hours per day. They were not allowed to move or take longer than a 15-minute break. They also could not leave without permission, Dore said.

“Many described large debts — money they were told they owed — and that they participated in the commercial sexual trade in order to pay off their debt,” Dore said.

Kliment told Hutado he would receive credit for 620 days served in the Kane County jail and receive 50% for good time credit in prison, concurrent with another case in Cook County. This means Hurtado would serve just under two years in prison.

Kliment said Hurtado would also have to pay $5,114 in restitution and 12 months of mandatory supervision upon his release from prison.

Dore said if the case had gone to trial, evidence would show that Hurtado engaged in trafficking in persons on Feb. 17, 2023, and on July 19, 2023, knowing that the persons involved would be subjected to involuntary servitude.

Three other defendants pleaded guilty in negotiated agreements with prosecutors: Martha P. Hurtado-Hernandez, 58, of Chicago; Rigoberto Parra, 47, of Aurora and Christian Hurtado, 28, of Elgin. They all pleaded guilty to one felony count of trafficking in persons,

Hurtado-Hernandez agreed to serve seven years in prison. Parra and Christian Hurtado agreed to serve five years in prison.

The criminal case against Hector Briseno, 58, of Chicago, is still pending with a court date of April 2.