Chicago's struggle for safety against those who harm the youngest and most vulnerable has seen a decisive victory with a judge's ruling branding a man as a Sexually Violent Person (SVP). Convict Eric Paxton, found guilty of possession of child pornography, will now remain under lock and key, in the state's protective custody.

After a legal pursuit spearheaded by Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office, Kane County Circuit Court Judge Clint Hull made the call to indefinitely commit 36-year-old Paxton to the care of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Paxton had already been cooling his heels at the IDHS Treatment and Detention Facility, but the ruling seeks to duly ensure the community's safety by restraining his potential to further offend.

"The court has found this defendant continues to be a danger to the community," Raoul announced. His commitment to safeguarding the innocence of children has been echoed in the aggressive approach his office has taken against convicted sex offenders. Paxton's initial tangle with the law culminated in a guilty plea in 2014, landing him a sentence of four years behind bars.

The path to branding someone a Sexually Violent Person is a threading act that requires the offender to have been convicted of a sexually violent offense and to be diagnosed with a mental disorder. Moreover, the state must prove that the offender is likely to commit future acts of sexual violence if released from custody. As per the procedure, Paxton's fate will be regularly reviewed, keeping his status as an SVP under scrutiny.

The arduous legal maneuvering was managed by Senior Assistant Attorney General David Kalicki and Deputy Bureau Chief Shannon O’Brien, both of whom serve in Raoul's Sexually Violent Persons Bureau, according to an official release from the Attorney General's office. The result of their labors is a community safeguarded, at least for now, from one individual deemed too hazardous to walk among them without restraints.