An Illinois man, Austin W. Lee, was charged with child sexual abuse material possession (CSAM) yesterday, November 1, by the state's Attorney General Kwame Raoul. Lee, 29, from Franklin County, faces similar charges at a federal level. Specialized forces from Raoul's office have been meticulously working with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials across Illinois to charge individuals involved in online trading of CSAM. According to the Attorney General's press release, Lee was hit with 15 counts, 10 of them Class 2 felonies, and the other five, Class 4 felonies.
Evidence of CSAM and animal abuse was discovered during an October 31 search of Lee's Benton home, as stated by the Attorney General's office. The investigation was launched by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). Lee already faced charges from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Illinois for related offenses. The Attorney General clarified that "Child pornography is a horrific crime that can leave life-long scars on victims and their families, and we must hold predators accountable—particularly those who repeat their crimes."
Raoul's office, through a U.S. Department of Justice grant, operates the Illinois ICAC Task Force. The said task force is responsible for conducting investigations into child exploitation crimes, and offers training to law enforcement agencies. An increasing number of reports about child sexual abuse materail, known as CyberTips, originate from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Alarmingly, there was a 26% uptick in the number of CyberTipline reports in 2022 compared to 2021.
The rise in CyberTips points to an upward trend of online child exploitation crimes, stressing the importance of the task force's work. The Illinois ICAC Task Force, part of a network of 61 across the nation, consists of over 175 local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2006, the task force has arrested more than 1,990 sexual predators. From 2019 onwards, the task force handled in excess of 35,000 CyberTips, aided over 600 arrests, and held countless internet safety and educational trainings for parents, teachers, students, and law enforcement officers.
To prevent crimes, Attorney General Raoul is motivating the public to play an active role in reporting online child exploitation at www.cybertipline.com. Reports on child abuse can also be filed on the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services' website at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. For information regarding their local child advocacy centers, you can visit www.childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
