Ex-Cook County Judge From Palos Charged In Sex Trafficking Sting

PALOS HILLS, IL — A retired Cook County judge from Palos Hills is among more than 100 people arrested after a weeklong human trafficking sting in Florida. Officials said Daniel Peters, 66, told detectives he is a retired judge and special assistant for legal affairs with the Cook County Sheriff's Office. Peters is charged with soliciting a prostitute.

Officials with the Polk County Sheriff's Office in Winter Haven, Florida, said 108 people were charged with various offenses during what they dubbed "Operation March Sadness 2." The six-day operation was launched March 8.

Polk County jail records indicate Peters was arrested March 11 and released the next day after posting $500.

Police said detectives identified prostitutes who posted online advertisements as well as "johns" seeking out sex workers, attempting to identify and free any victims who had been forced into prostitution.

Undercover detectives communicated online with suspects and arranged to meet up at a residence.

In addition to multiple people accused of soliciting prostitutes and four other men accused of preying on children online, the sheriff's office said one person was arrested on charges of human trafficking.

A 32-year-old Orlando woman is accused of sex trafficking another woman and threatening her with violence if she did not comply.

"The arrests of a human trafficker and four child predators alone makes this whole operation worthwhile," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news release. "The online prostitution industry enables traffickers and victimizes those who are being trafficked. Our goal is to identify victims, offer them help, and find and arrest those who are profiting from the exploitation of human beings. Johns fuel the trafficking and victimization."

Peters is one of 108 people arrested in the "March Sadness" sting. His arrest was cited by police as one "which stood out" given his background in the court system.

He was listed among several "notables," including a 42-year-old Kissimmee man who told detectives he is a married father of eight children and that he left one of his kids at a soccer game to meet with a prostitute, police said.

The oldest person arrested, a 67-year-old man, showed up to the residence drinking Ensure, police said. The youngest person arrested was a 17-year-old boy. Both were charged with soliciting a prostitute.