(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- After a record number of human trafficking and prostitution-related arrests this month, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is pleading for more help to address the problem.
“We are overwhelmed with this,” he said Monday.
Over the last two weeks, he said eight people have been arrested for crimes ranging from operating a brothel and promoting prostitution to child pornography.
“What’s the point of doing this job, frankly, if I’m just going to sit here and roll out a new announcement of another arrest, knowing full well that nothing is going to change and nothing is going to stop?” Dart said.
“We’ll just have our next child victim, our next life destroyed, and we’ll just keep going about our day. Ain’t going to happen.”
As he’s done in the past, Dart is turning to popular websites tied to trafficking and prostitution and asking for help.
“We’re going to ask them what their process is and if they’re willing to work with us,” he said.
In the meantime, he said he’s urging parents to monitor their children’s social media use. The federal government may need to step in to shut dangerous websites down, the sheriff added.
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