Wheaton's Jarrett Ferguson Pleads Guilty For Child Sex Crime

(CBS) -- Jarrett O. Ferguson, of Wheaton, will be headed to prison for attempting to have sex with a minor in exchange for cash.

Ferguson on Friday agreed to a sentence of three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections in exchange for a guilty plea to the offense of traveling to meet a minor, a Class 3 felony.

Ferguson drove to a specified location in Aurora expecting to have a sexual encounter with a minor or minors on March 10, 2017, prosecutors said.

In addition to the prison term, Ferguson must register for 10 years as a sexual offender in accordance with the Illinois Sexual Offender Registration Act.

On five occasions starting in December 2014, Homeland Security and the Aurora Police Department collaborated to target persons who sought to commit sexual acts with children. A total of 14 people have been sentenced as part of the investigation.

"Human trafficking and child sex exploitation is a very real problem that exists in every community," said Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon. "In these cases ... we were able to expose individuals who sought to exploit children for sexual purposes and bring them to justice."