CHICAGO — A Chicago woman has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly operating a prostitution business in the city’s West Town neighborhood.

JESSICA NESBITT, also known as “Madame Priscilla Belle,” 31, is charged with seven counts of using interstate commerce to facilitate prostitution, three counts of illegally structuring cash withdrawals to evade financial reporting requirements, one count of conspiracy to use interstate commerce to facilitate prostitution and transport and entice an individual across state lines to engage in prostitution, one count of enticing an individual across state lines to engage in prostitution, and one count of transporting an individual across state lines to engage in prostitution. 

The indictment was returned last month and ordered unsealed today.  Nesbitt pleaded not guilty at her arraignment this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez.  A status hearing was scheduled for Oct. 15, 2019, at 9:30 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow, Jr.

The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI; and Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Devlin N. Su and Erika Csicsila.

According to the indictment, Nesbitt owned and operated a company called Kink Extraordinaires, which employed several individuals who engaged in prostitution.  Acts of prostitution were carried out in a residential building in the 2400 block of West Augusta Boulevard in Chicago, according to the indictment.  Nesbitt advertised prostitution services on multiple websites, including backpage.com, eros.com and Gentlemen’s Pages, as well as a website that Nesbitt operated called kinkextraordinaires.com, the indictment states.  Nesbitt also emailed her clients invitations to paid sex and fetish parties, including “Halloween Mischief” and “Black Tie Bizarre,” the indictment states.

In addition to activity in Chicago, Nesbitt arranged for herself and her employees to perform acts of prostitution in California, Washington, D.C., Florida, Indiana, Nevada, and Wisconsin, the indictment states.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The enticement charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while the transportation and structuring charges carry a maximum sentence of ten years.  The charges of conspiracy and using interstate commerce to facilitate prostitution are each punishable by up to five years.  If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.