Two charged in human trafficking, solicitation investigation

Two local men are being held in the Oneida County jail, each on $100,000 cash bail, in connection with multiple felony charges related to human sex trafficking and solicitation of prostitutes.

In a criminal complaint filed on Aug. 16, Louis Leroy Hallock, 62, of Harshaw, was charged with six counts of solicitation of prostitutes and one count of keeping a place of prostitution.

Hildebrand

On Aug. 17, John Leo Hildebrand, 57, of Rhinelander, was charged with six counts of human trafficking.

Hildebrand made his initial appearance on the trafficking charges on Friday afternoon at which time Oneida County circuit judge Mike Bloom set bail in the amount of $100,000 cash.

Assistant district attorney Mary Sowinski requested a significant cash bail, noting Hildebrand’s extensive criminal history, recent behavior and the gravity of the new allegations.

“The defendant has made clear in his behavior over the past couple of weeks that he is not interested in following court orders,” she said. “He has repeatedly returned to the address on Highway 8 where he was told not to go” and has not made arrangements to get a “drug patch” as directed by the court in connection with a separate pending charge.

She also noted the state is concerned Hildebrand might flee the area.

Given his chance to speak, Hildebrand told Bloom he has no attention of going anywhere and would be willing to relinquish the keys to his vehicles.

“I’m not going anywhere in terms of trying to fleeing,” he said. “I’ve no place to go really.”

“I’ve learned... I’ve been in and out of the county jail three times in the last week and I mean I don’t want to do this anymore,” he added. “’I’ll just give you my word I won’t go anywhere ... I want to work with you guys, whatever I have to do.”

After first admonishing the defendant for referring to the court as “you guys”, Bloom noted the “nature, number and gravity of the offenses” alleged, as well as the apparent strength of the state’s evidence as presented in the complaint.

“The complaint in this case sets forth a consistent series of allegations from multiple individuals that woven together is a relatively convincing description of what went on,” he said. 

“Without going into unnecessary detail, the conduct alleged in the complaint is extremely distasteful and predatory,” the judge added.

According to that complaint, Hildebrand is accused of requesting various sex acts in exchange for providing various individuals with methamphetamine.

One of the alleged victims told investigators they did not want to participate in sex acts with Hildebrand but they “cared more about meth than food or water.” 

The same individual also told police they felt as they were selling their “soul” for meth.

Hildebrand is due back in court for an adjourned initial appearance at 2:30 p.m. Aug. 28.

Hallock

According to court records, Hallock made his initial appearance on Thursday afternoon, also before Bloom, at which time bail was set in the amount of $100,000 cash.

According to the complaint filed in that case, the solicitation charges are related to an investigation conducted by the Oneida County sheriff’s office over the last several months involving victims performing sexual acts against their will in exchange for “narcotics, employment, residency, bail money, future ownership of land and property, as well as vehicles.”

“Some of these victims were coerced into performing sex acts while under the influence of narcotics, alcohol, the threat of great bodily harm or death, the use of law enforcement to apprehend individuals with bondable warrants, pay for the victims’ bond in exchange for sex acts, the threat of apprehension from law enforcement or probation, as well as being physically restrained and sexually assaulted,” the complaint states.

The complaint also notes that Hallock is on probation for second degree sexual assault of a child and has “an extensive history with the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office in regard to sexual assaults dating back to the 1990s...”

He is due back in court for an adjourned initial appearance on the afternoon of Sept. 11.

Each of the six solicitation charges against Hallock refers to a different individual, for a total of six alleged victims.

The six human trafficking counts filed against Hildebrand also refer to six different alleged victims.

The solicitation charges are Class H felonies carrying a maximum sentence of 6 years in prison. The human trafficking charges are Class D felonies carrying a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.

Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].