LEGAL HELP FOR SURVIVORS OF COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

Supporting People Who’ve Experienced Prostitution and Sex Trafficking

If you are a survivor of commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution and sex trafficking, you have legal rights and protections. You may be able to

  • clear criminal records from your time in the sex industry,
  • get protection from an abuser or trafficker,
  • assert your rights as a victim of crime, and
  • sue people and businesses that were involved in your sexual exploitation.

You can learn about each of these options below or contact CAASE to talk about your needs. We provide free legal services for survivors of sexual assault, sexual stalking, and sex trafficking with any background or identity who were harmed in Cook County, IL, and are aged 13+. 

CAASE cannot accept cases involving criminal defense, divorce, custody, property in common or other family court issues, immigration, or cases that involve survivors who do not want to participate in a legal process, even if they are minors. If CAASE can’t assist you, we will try to connect you to another attorney and support resources.  

Contact Us To Learn More

To learn more about our free legal services or schedule a consultation, please call our legal intake line at 773-244-2230, ext. 205 or email legal@caase.org. We’re available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday. All personal information will be kept confidential. Please allow up to 72 hours for responses.

Our Legal Staff speaks Spanish, Portuguese, Urdu, Gujarati, and Hindi. Translation services are also available in all languages.

Clearing Criminal Records for Survivors 

If you have a criminal record as a result of sex trafficking or prostitution, CAASE can assist you with trying to clear it. Records can be for prostitution arrests or convictions, or other offenses you received as a result of your time in the sex industry, including drug-related convictions and warrants.  

Protective Orders

Illinois allows individuals to get protective orders against another person.  A protective order requires that the perpetrator stay away from the protected person, as well as their home, school, and workplace. Violating a protective order can result in an arrest and criminal charges, or the person may be held in contempt of court. 

If you are a survivor of the sex trade, including sex trafficking or prostitution, you can ask the court for a protective order against an abuser or trafficker. 

Learn more about protective orders here.

Civil Lawsuits for Survivors of Sex Trafficking or Prostitution 

Survivors of the sex trade can sue for money damages and other remedies under a few different laws. The Gender Violence Act lets survivors of gender-related violence sue someone who harmed them with gender-related violence. They can seek monetary damages or other remedies, such as an injunction to prevent the person from doing a specific act. The Predator Accountability Act allows survivors of sex trafficking or prostitution to sue individuals and businesses that recruited, harmed, profited from, or kept them in the sex trade.

Crime Victims’ Rights

Survivors of the sex trade may also be a witness in a criminal case where a person is arrested for sex trafficking or other related charges. Victims of crime, including survivors of sex trafficking, have important legal rights when they are involved in criminal prosecution. Learn more about crime victims’ rights here.