ROCKFORD, Illinois — A Monroe man is among dozens indicted on charges related to an investigation into alleged prostitution at two Rockford lingerie shops.
David A. Babler, 76, faces charges of patronizing a prostitute and entering a place of prostitution, both Class 4 felonies, and a Class A misdemeanor count of soliciting a sexual act. The felonies carry a minimum sentence of one year imprisonment.
His bond is set at $4,700, and on Aug. 26 Babler posted 10%, or $470. He made his initial appearance three days later and is next in Winnebago County Circuit Court for a status hearing Oct. 1.
A grand jury returned indictments against Babler and 27 others on Aug. 28. The Winnebago County State’s Attorney announced the charges the previous week following “a lengthy investigation” into Chantilly Lace, 106 7th St., and Exclusive Lingerie Boutique, 77 7th St.
Rockford police spent months investigating the establishments after receiving information “regarding alleged illegal commercial sex trade,” according to a release from the State’s Attorney’s Office. Babler’s alleged violation date is listed in court records as 6:23 a.m. Dec. 1, 2018.
A search warrant executed May 23 found code violations at both businesses, causing them to be shut down. In addition, “multiple items were seized and several adult female employees were detained for questioning.”
The owner of Chantilly Lace, 57-year-old Peggy D. Smith, is charged with 12 counts of promoting a place of prostitution. She was held on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 1.
Babler is one of 27 men indicted on charges of solicitation. Most of the men are in their 50s, 60s and 70s. The oldest is 80, the youngest is 33.
The Rockford Register Star reported that those indicted include many prominent men in the community, including a former CEO, a bank president, an elected official, a youth soccer coach, doctors and other business leaders.
Babler is himself a prominent businessman in Monroe. He heads Babler Associates, an insurance agency and financial planning firm started by his father. Over the decades, he has served on the boards of the YMCA and Monroe Clinic and Hospital, earned the Outstanding Jaycee Award, served on his church council and worked with his wife to keep Turner Hall active.
No one was charged with prostitution, part of the City of Rockford’s strategy to focus instead on those who buy sex or facilitate the sale of it, according to the Register Star. The women described as prostitutes in court documents are listed as witnesses to the alleged crimes.
A victims’ advocate told the paper the diverse socioeconomic status of the accused men is evidence that human trafficking is a crime perpetuated by people of all walks of life and demonstrates the need to continue to arrest, prosecute and publicize the names of those who buy sex.
“These are the men who walk among us, who live with us, who do business with us and who work with us,” Jennifer Cacciapaglia, manager of the Mayor’s Office of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Prevention, told the paper.