Online Sex Crimes to be Prosecuted Offline

 Posted on July 30,2013 in Uncategorized

According to a recent story on Foxillinois.com, Attorney General Lisa Madigan has proposed that sex crimes committed online be prosecuted locally. She is asking that Congress amend the Communications Decency Act, which was put into place in 1989 to fight sex crimes on the internet. It is reported that the internet has perpetuated an increase in sex trafficking. At present, the prosecutor's office does not have the authority to go after a suspect if the crime is committed in Illinois.

If this proposal were granted it would be a big deal in the fight against sex crimes as a whole. It would mean that once an online sex crime was committed in Illinois the local authorities will have the authority to go after the suspect. Presently, prosecuting these types of crimes falls under the jurisdiction of the federal government. However, Attorney General Madigan and other supporters of her proposal feel that online sex crimes committed in Illinois should be handled by local authorities.

Opponents of the proposal aren't so sure that the funding for the increase in manpower would be available if the proposal were to be approved. More manpower means more money in a budget that some say is already tight. However, supporters of the proposal say that the sex crimes unit presently in place could handle the cases that involve the internet without the need for extra personnel.

At this point, there hasn't been any say as to whether the Madigan's proposal will be approved. Until such time, cases involving sex crimes online will continue to be handled at the federal level.

Being accused of a sex crime in Illinois is no laughing matter. Your entire life could change in an instance. That's why it is imperative that you have a dedicated criminal defense attorney on your side. Contact the Law Office of Hal M Garfinkel.