Hardin County Woman Charged with Using the Internet to Arrange Sex with a Minor

A Rosiclare (Hardin County), Illinois woman has been charged in federal court with using the Internet to arrange sex acts with a minor, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.

According to a criminal complaint filed today in federal district court in Benton, Illinois, Heather M. Banks, 23, of Rosiclare, Illinois, is alleged to have used the Internet on June 18, 2012 to induce a minor to engage in illegal sex acts. The complaint further alleges that Banks was using the Internet to induce a minor to provide her with prescription medications in exchange for sex. The charged offense carries a penalty of from 10 years, up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release from five years to life. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hardin County State’s Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas E. Leggans.