Decatur man charged in human trafficking case pleads not guilty

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - One of two Decatur men who were arrested for human trafficking last month has pleaded not guilty.

Bryan Slater appeared in court Wednesday and entered a plea of not guilty.

ISP said that during an investigation by the Coles County Sheriff's Department in October, a woman was identified as a possible human trafficking victim following a reported theft.

The ISP's Illinois Trafficking Enforcement Group (ITEG) eventually learned that the woman had been abused and sexually assaulted by two men, later identified as 36-year-old Bryan Slater and 31-year-old Jacob Miller, both of Decatur.

After arrest warrants were issued early last month, Miller was arrested in Sangamon County Dec. 2, while Slater was later arrested in Sangamon County Dec. 17.

Both men were charged with aggravated involuntary servitude/threaten physical harm (Class X felony), involuntary servitude/physically restrain (Class 1 felony), involuntary servitude/financial harm (Class 4 felony), trafficking for labor (Class 1 felony) and promoting prostitution (Class 4 felony), according to ISP.

Slater will be back in court again for a preliminary hearing on March 2.

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