4 charged in Aurora underage hotel sex sting
Four people have been charged with traveling to an Aurora hotel March 10 to have sex with a child or children in exchange for money, according to prosecutors and Kane County court records.
Each man has been charged with felony aggravated involuntary servitude of a minor, an offense that carries a prison term of six to 30 years with no chance of probation, along with traveling to meet a minor and grooming, also felonies.
According to prosecutors, each of the men agreed to travel to the hotel with the intent of paying for sex with a minor or minors. Once each arrived, those arrested were:
• Jarrett O. Ferguson, 25, of the 1300 block of Naperville Road, Wheaton, who is due in court Thursday.
• Ramesh Gannamani, 36, of the 900 block of Beau Drive, Des Plaines. who is due in court Wednesday.
• Olatokunbo Olawoye, 44, of the 500 block of Declaration Lane, Aurora, who is due in court April 5.
• Carlos J. Zaca, 21, of the 200 block of Bevier Place, Aurora, who is due in court Wednesday.
Aurora police, along with the Department of Homeland Security, held a similar sting in December 2014/January 2015 and March 2015, netting 10 arrests for men wanting to have sex with children.
To date, nine of those 10 have either pleaded guilty or were convicted in trial, resulting in prison sentences ranging from 33 months to seven years.
Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon last December praised both agencies for their work against sex trafficking, saying: "It's disgusting. Sex trafficking does not exist without someone willing to pay for it."
If convicted of aggravated involuntary servitude of a minor, each defendant also must register as a sex offender.