Fifth accused St. Charles sex trafficker waives jury trial

The fifth accused sex trafficker picked up in a July 2023 sweep in St. Charles appeared in court Wednesday and received a continuance until May 2.

Hector Briseno, 58, of Chicago, was indicted on one count of involuntary servitude with threat of physical harm; one count of trafficking in persons for labor; four counts of involuntary servitude with physical restraint; six counts of involuntary servitude with the threat of financial harm; and four counts of promoting prostitution for profit, according to court records.

Appearing before Circuit Judge Daniel Kliment, Assistant State’s Attorney Christine Bayer said she and Briseno’s attorney, Joseph Lopez, discussed documents that would impact the case.

“I would ask for another 30 days,” Lopez said. “I have half of the documents I’ve gathered. I need to gather the other half.”

Lopez said he also filed court papers waiving a jury trial for Briseno and seeking a bench trial before the judge instead.

Kliment granted the continuance.

In July 2023, St. Charles police led the probe into breaking up a human trafficking syndicate, which included the rescue of seven women who were being sex trafficked in brothels. One brothel was in a west side apartment in St. Charles, with others in South Elgin, Elgin, Hanover Park, Palatine and Chicago.

In the process of the arrests, police said they rescued seven women, all from South America and ranging in age from their early 20s to early 30s.

The other four charged in the sweep all pleaded guilty to one count of felony trafficking in persons in exchange for the other charges not being prosecuted.

All four accepted prison sentences.

Rigoberto Parra, 47, of Aurora, and Christian Hurtado, 28, of Elgin, accepted prison sentences of five years; Daniel Hurtado, 27, of Elgin, agreed to five and a half years; and Martha P. Hurdato-Hernandez, 58, of Chicago, agreed to seven years.

Trafficking in persons is a Class 1 felony, punishable by four to 15 years in prison or up to 48 months of probation.

The most serious charge they all faced was Class X involuntary servitude with the threat of physical harm, punishable by six to 30 years in prison if convicted.