Verschoore Applauds Illinois Attorney General for Fight Against Child Pornography

State Rep. Pat Verschoore (D-Milan) is applauding the efforts of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan for her work in tracking down child pornographers. Madigan recently announced the arrest of the 20th individual in a child pornography crackdown.  

“As a father and a grandfather, it is vital that we keep our children safe from predators,” Verschoore said. “Images posted on the internet are permanent. Once they are in cyberspace, they cannot be permanently destroyed or deleted. Individuals who distribute illicit pictures of children have the ability to continually cause damage to their victims, and I am thankful that we have an attorney general who is aggressive at going after these criminals.”

Verschoore has been an advocate of children’s safety by pushing for harsher penalties for sex offenders and helping to pass tougher laws against those who use the internet as a tool to commit sex offenses. He recently backed legislation that eliminates the statute of limitation for child pornography and makes possession of child pornography a Class X felony, punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $25,000 fine, if the defendant possessed more than one of the same films, videotape or visual reproduction or depiction by computer.  

It has been shown that those who use or engage in the distribution of child pornography are more likely to sexually abuse children. In Illinois alone, of the almost 25,000 individuals who are listed and required to register on the Sex Offender Registry, 81 percent are required to register because they committed a crime against a child.

“Our Attorney General and local and state law enforcement officials are actively pursuing individuals who threaten the safety of our children,” Verschoore said. “I will continue to work with law enforcement to help pass laws that support their efforts and help ensure that our children are not becoming victims of predators.”

For more information, please contact state Rep. Verschoore’s constituent services office at 309- 558-3612.