Woman Recruited Child For Prostitution In South Suburban Case: Authorities

CALUMET CITY, IL — A woman from the south suburbs was sentenced to 20 years in prison for facilitating child prostitution, according to authorities.

Jamari Hodge, 29, of Calumet City, in 2021 convinced a 13-year-old girl to engage in commercial sex acts, authorities said. Hodge took explicit photographs of the child, used them to advertise commercial sex online, and rented hotel rooms in Illinois and Indiana for the encounters, setting prices and collecting payments afterward, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Hodge pleaded guilty in 2023 to enticing a minor to engage in commercial sex, authorities said. In addition to prison time, she was ordered Wednesday to pay $180,000 in restitution to the child, according to the department.

Police from Lansing, Calumet City and Richton Park assisted in the federal investigation, authorities said.

Victims of sexual exploitation are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by visiting www.missingkids.com or calling 1-800-843-5678, according to the department.