CHICAGO -- Two people in Iowa and one in Ohio have been arrested for allegedly transporting underage girls to Chicago for prostitution.
The U.S. Attorney's office in Chicago said in a Tuesday statement that authorities launched an investigation in April after a 14-year-old girl snuck out of a hotel and called her mother in Iowa City. The mother then contacted police.
There are two other alleged victims -- both 16 years old. The suspects are aged 19, 23 and 41. Federal authorities are seeking to have them sent to Chicago.
A complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges each with one count of conspiracy to transport minors across state lines to engage in prostitution.
If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum 10-year sentence and a maximum sentence of life.