CHICAGO — A Chicago man received 30 years in prison Friday after forcing women and children to engage in commercial sex acts throughout the city and suburbs.
From 2012 to 2014, Charles Fears, 28, of Chicago, and Samuel Nichols, 37, of Chicago, operated a sex trafficking business.
Fears and Nichols often hit, slapped and punched the victims — some of whom were as young as 13, according to federal authorities. Fears pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. He was sentenced Friday to 30 years in federal prison.
The judge also ordered him to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution to the victims.
Nichols was sentenced in 2019 to life in prison.
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com/home or by calling 1-800-843-5678.