Clifford Brewster was arrested outside of a hotel near Michigan Ave and Wacker Dr in the Loop. | CPD; Google |
A South Shore man forced a woman into prostitution by beating her and threatening to have her child taken away by the state, prosecutors said.
Clifford Brewster, a 32-year-old registered child sex offender, was arrested outside of a hotel near Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive on Saturday afternoon. Chicago police, acting on a tip from the FBI, set up a covert operation that led to Brewster’s arrest.
Prosecutors said Brewster advertised the 20-year-old woman on a prostitution website, scheduled prostitution appointments, and provided a hotel room for the victim to engage in sex acts for money. He then took the financial proceeds, according to charges.
Brewster beat the victim when she refused to prostitute herself and threatened to have her child placed in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services when she refused to work, according to court records.
Prosecutors charged Brewster with trafficking for labor-recruiting and four counts of involuntary servitude. Judge Michael Clancy set his bail at $200,000.
Records show that Brewster was convicted of sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl in Lake County when he was 17-years-old.