From the U.S. Attorney:
FEDERAL JURY CONVICTS CHICAGO MAN OF SEX TRAFFICKING AND KIDNAPPING OFFENSES
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a Chicago man of violently sex trafficking five young victims, including a 15-year-old girl, and kidnapping two of them.
The jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago on Tuesday convicted DENNIS WILLIAMS, 33, on all seven sex trafficking and kidnapping counts against him.
Williams faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of life.
U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland set sentencing for Oct. 7, 2025.
The convictions were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department and the Lansing, Ill. Police Department. The government has been represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen Totten, Sushma Raju, and Michelle Parthum.
According to evidence presented at the week-long trial, Williams used threats, violence, drugs, and other coercive means to force five victims to engage in commercial sex.
Williams often restrained or assaulted the victims to force them to comply and turn over the proceeds to him.
Williams also caused a 17-year-old girl, whom he also assaulted repeatedly, to assist him in trafficking the victims.
Williams operated his sex trafficking operation in 2022 and 2023 out of his Chicago residence and motels in Lansing, Ill.
On Aug. 2, 2022, Williams kidnapped one of his victims by luring her inside his truck and abruptly driving away.
The victim escaped by leaping from the moving vehicle.
On Jan. 10, 2023, Williams kidnapped another of his victims by confining her to his closet overnight and then forcing her to engage in commercial sex with strangers.
The victim escaped by jumping out of a second-floor window and running a quarter mile to a Chicago Public Library branch.
All five of Williams’ victims, including both of the kidnapping victims, testified about their ordeals at trial.
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 or by calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
