Illinois State Police: One arrested in Bloomington area for human trafficking

Posted on March 22, 2024
The signs of human trafficking can be subtle; to learn more, please visit Recognizing the Signs | National Human Trafficking Hotline.  (WJBC File Photo)

By WMBD-TV

BLOOMINGTON – The Illinois State Police arrested one man during an anti-human trafficking operation in the Bloomington area, the agency announced late Thursday.

On March 20, the Trafficking Enforcement Bureau of the state police “conducted an operation focused on identifying individuals who compel others into the commercial sex industry through force fraud and coercion, while also offering resources to victims of human trafficking that are encountered.” 

Arrested was 24-year-old Marcus D. Bender of Springfield, who was arrested and charged with involuntary servitude and promoting prostitution, both felonies that could send him to prison for up to three years.

Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person into commercial sex acts, labor, or services against their will. The state police continues its multifaceted approach toward protecting those most vulnerable with its ongoing statewide human trafficking enforcement operations. 

The signs of human trafficking can be subtle; to learn more, please visit Recognizing the Signs | National Human Trafficking Hotline. 

If you suspect human trafficking, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text *233733.  For more information visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org.  You can also email [email protected].  

WMBD-TV can be reached at [email protected].

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…