Prosecutors: Aurora Trafficking Sting Proves Man Paid a Mom for Sex With Her Child

A Chicago man was convicted Wednesday of heading to an Aurora hotel to pay for sex with a 15-year-old girl

Marek P. Gacierz, 34, lives in the 3700 block of North Octavia Street near Chicago's Belmont Heights area. He was convicted in Kane County June 22 of involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, traveling to meet a minor, and grooming, according to a federal news release issued this week.

Gacierz waived his right to a jury trial. Kane County prosecutors presented evidence that on Jan. 8, 2015, he traveled from the city to an Aurora hotel for the sexual encounter. They said that when he arrived, he met a person he thought was the girl's mother, confirmed he wanted sexual favors, and then paid the woman $150 in exchange for them.

He was subsequently arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents and Aurora Police Department officers.

Gacierz is next due in court Aug. 26 for motions and sentencing. He faces a minimum sentence of six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, according to court records.

He had been free on $12,500 bail, which was revoked upon his conviction. He was then taken back into custody.

This case was prosecuted by Kane County Assistant State's Attorney Christine Bayer and Kane County First Assistant State's Attorney Jody Gleason.

"This conviction is a step toward ending human trafficking, and specifically child sex trafficking," Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon said, in the release. "These unconscionable crimes take place across the Chicago suburbs much more often than the general public could possibly know. Law enforcement nationwide, at all levels, is committed to ending the exploitation of children."

This investigation was conducted under HSI's Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 14,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children.

In fiscal year 2015, nearly 2,400 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or completing its online tip form. Both are staffed 24-7 by investigators.
Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.