A Chicago man has been found guilty by a federal jury of sex trafficking and kidnapping, involving five young victims, including a minor. Dennis Williams, aged 33, was convicted on seven counts related to these charges in a decision handed down by the U.S. District Court in Chicago. Williams could face a prison sentence ranging from a minimum of 15 years to a potential maximum of life imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for October 7, 2025, under U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland.
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 FBI Chicago Field Office. The investigation was supported by the Chicago Police Department and the Lansing, Illinois, Police Department, with the prosecution headed by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen Totten, Sushma Raju, and Michelle Parthum.
During the trial, evidence revealed that Williams used threats, violence, and coercion, including drugs, to force the victims into commercial sex work. The victims were often subjected to physical restraints and assaults. Williams also coerced a 17-year-old girl to assist in his trafficking activities, operating primarily from his Chicago residence and motels in Lansing, Illinois, during 2022 and 2023.
The court heard detailed testimonies of the victims, including an instance on August 2, 2022, when Williams kidnapped a victim by deceiving her into his vehicle, leading to her eventual leap from the moving truck for escape. Another incident on January 10, 2023, involved Williams confining a victim in his closet before forcing her into commercial sex, from which she fled by jumping from a second-floor window.
If you are a victim of sexual exploitation, support is available through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, accessible at www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678, available 24/7.