Child Porn Reports Increase 16% In 2021, AG's Office Predicts

ILLINOIS — The Attorney General's office projects a 16 percent increase in reports of online child sexual exploitation this year, a rise that state police and child well-being experts say could be due to the pandemic.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force with the U.S. Department of Justice. The task force mainly investigates child sexual exploitation crimes, but also ensures law enforcement agencies know how to identify sexually dangerous situations.

In 2020, the task force received about 5,200 tip-line reports from the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which filters reports of sexual exploitation. In 2021, the agency anticipates over 6,000 tips.

According to Raoul's office, child pornography charges come in many forms. Possession, manufacture and distribution all affect the severity of a charge. While many reports came into the task force regarding adults abusing children, the task force saw an increase in reports from Snapchat and Instagram involving minors sharing other peers' self-produced nude photos or videos.

The social distancing requirements caused many children to grow up in even more technology dependent worlds than before. Raoul said lately many children will unknowingly share an explicit image in order to "raise public awareness" of sex-trafficking and other sexually based offenses.

The Attorney General's task force continues to partner with the Illinois State Police and other local law enforcement agencies to aid in arrests and convictions. Officials said the task force has been involved in more than 1,780 arrest since its conception in 2006.

"Criminal investigations are increasingly digital," Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly said. "And that demands greater investments in training and technology and greater partnership between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to pursue criminal activity in the cyber world."

The group reports the best way to ensure children are safe from sexual exploitation is to educate children and parents on the topic. The task force has provided internet safety training and education to more than 953,500 parents, teachers and students.

"Your child may be safely at home playing games or chatting online, but it is important to know who they may be communicating with," Kelly said in a news release.

Earlier this month, Raoul joined a growing list of State's Attorneys in calling for Facebook to stop production Instagram Kids. He has been equally as vocal about children using other forms of social media, but online learning has made some apps necessary to keep up communication and development.

To report suspected online child sexual exploitation, an individual can contact local law enforcement or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline at 1-800-THE-LOST.