Wisconsin man indicted after teen's rescue from Schaumburg hotel

A 33-year-old Wisconsin man was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges after investigators rescued a 17-year-old girl from a Schaumburg hotel in August.

Prosecutors said Blake Steckel lured the teenager from West Virginia in July under the guise of working as a model. Steckel is accused of taking nude photographs of the girl and threatening to post them on several social media accounts unless the girl worked as a prostitute throughout the Northwest suburbs.

According to court papers, Steckel is charged with sex trafficking of a minor, production of child pornography and transporting an individual in interstate commerce for purposes of prostitution.

Authorities said Steckel kept a portion of the money the girl received for performing sex acts with clients Steckel arranged meetings with at various hotels in Rosemont, Itasca, Elk Grove Village and Schaumburg.

The girl had been engaged in prostitution for more than a month before an undercover sting coordinated by local law enforcement agents found her, according to court records.

If convicted of the sex trafficking charge, Steckel could face a life sentence.