A pair of twin brothers from Dolton have pleaded guilty today to forcing girls to have sex with strangers.
Myrelle Lockett and Tyrelle Lockett, both 18, were sentenced to four years in prison, the Chicago Tribune reports.
The twins were charged last May with human trafficking for forced labor services and involuntary sexual servitude of a minor. According to a Cook Country Sheriff’s Office report released last year, the Lockett brothers had been trafficking teenage girls at various suburban hotels, selling sexual acts for money.
Sheriff’s detectives began looking into the case when they responded to an ad on the classified website Backpage.com that offered sex for cash. The page also had a picture a girl later identified as one of the Locketts' victims.
When the undercover detectives met Tyrelle Lockett at the delegated hotel, there were signs of violence towards the girl. Officers discovered another teenage girl being trafficked by Myrelle.
Investigators determined that although rates as high as $300 were posted on the ads, the girls rarely saw any of the money. The girls were submitted to Women’s Justice Services for counseling.
Cook County Judge Frank Zelezinski handed down the four-year sentences Wednesday, the Tribune reports.
