PROSTITUTION BUST LEADS TO STACKS OF VIDEO RECORDINGS
Thursday, Febuary 25, 2010 — An undercover prostitution sting this week led to the discovery of an elaborate video recording system designed to videotape all transactions and sex acts occurring between the prostitute and her clients, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart announced Thursday.
Guo Yu, 53, was arrested Monday in her apartment in the 5400 block of North East River Road in Chicago. Police responded to an ad on an internet site, promoting a “superb authentic oriental rub” by a 28-year-old “beautiful, highly trained and skilled young lady” who “is there to please.”
For $180, the ad promised an “all inclusive” “tissue rub” and “a totally relaxing experience” in the woman’s “beautiful home, in a relaxing oriental setting.”
An undercover sheriff’s officer who responded to the ad arranged for a Monday afternoon appointment. Once inside, Yu quickly offered sex for cash. She briefly left the bedroom for another room, where she had set up a video monitor connected to a camera hidden in the hallway outside her apartment door. On the monitor, Yu saw officers outside her apartment door and though she was already naked, she nervously returned to the bedroom and tried engaging in conversation with the undercover officer. He then placed her under arrest.
Further investigation revealed a hidden camera was set up in that public hallway, while even more cameras were set up in the bedroom, including a pin-sized camera which was positioned inside an Oriental wall fan. Additionally, jamming equipment had been set up to block any cell phone or text message transmissions from the apartment.
As officers searched the apartment, they found the cameras all fed into the kitchen monitor for viewing, but were recording on a system set up in another bedroom.
Years’ worth of tapes were located inside the apartment. All of the tapes show male customers coming into Yu’s bedroom, then exchanging cash for sex before leaving. Approximately 30 hours worth of tapes have so far been confiscated, though more tapes have been erased.
Officers are now reviewing all videotapes for evidence and are extracting information from a computer in Yu’s home as part of the investigation.
Investigators are also trying to determine whether any of the tapes were used to further any other criminal activity against the male customers.
The investigation is ongoing. Yu’s next court date is set for March 25 in Rolling Meadows.