Safeguarding Children
Online Safety for Children
The Attorney General's Office takes a two-pronged approach to protecting children from dangers that lurk online. Specialized experts investigate reports of child sexual exploitation and work with law enforcement to prosecute child predators. We also have preventative resources in place to provide parents and educators with safety tips so that children and families can make sound and safe decisions about online activity.
Protecting Children from Predators and Harmful Actions Online
OnlineSafeOnlineSmart.com is the new website that the Attorney General developed for parents, educators, and youth. It includes a schedule of monthly webinars on topics that cover the ever-changing online landscape of social platforms, gaming, and search engines. There is also an assortment of tip sheets and activity sheets for download, featuring the dogs “Buddy” and “Browser,” our animated online safety mascots. The site has features that are geared to parents, teachers, and children, young and older. We can also arrange a free community presentation by one of our Internet Safety Specialists.
High Tech Crimes and Internet Safety Bureau:
Fighting Child Sexual Exploitation
The High Tech Crimes Bureau coordinates the Illinois Crimes Against Children Task Force (Illinois ICAC) and provides investigation and prosecution assistance as requested. The task force was formed in 1997 and is one of 61 ICAC Task Forces throughout the country. It is comprised of a network of more than 285 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies, and the task force covers 101 of Illinois' 102 counties.
Since 2019 through June 2022, the Attorney General's ICAC Task Force has received more than 21,500 reports of child sexual exploitation and been involved in more than 203 arrests of sexual predators. and is comprised of prosecutors and investigators from over 180 Illinois-based federal, state, county and municipal agencies.
Agencies participate in the task force in many ways, from co-investigating and prosecuting cases, to simply using the task force as a clearinghouse to de-conflict simultaneous investigations, attending the training provided at the quarterly meetings, and using the expertise of the other members to increase their own effectiveness.
Personnel at member agencies are also often available to provide public awareness and safety presentations to organizations in their jurisdictions. For more information on the bureau or the task force, call 312-814-3762 or individuals with hearing or speech disabilities can reach us by using the 7-1-1 relay service.
Online child sexual exploitation can be reported at: www.cybertipline.com
Child abuse can be reported at: dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov.
Local child advocacy centers can be found here: childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Illinois Computer Crime Institute for Law Enforcement
The Illinois Computer Crime Institute was formed as a joint project of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General and the Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board.
The Institute's stated purpose was to develop and deliver a comprehensive computer crimes training curriculum to Illinois' law enforcement community. To do this, the Institute's Computer Forensics Specialists, who serve as members of the Attorney General's High Tech Crimes Unit, employ a hands-on training methodology utilizing a mobile training lab to instruct law enforcement professionals in the various facets of digital evidence recovery and Internet investigations.
The ICCI continues its mission by facilitating the development and organization of Illinois' Regional Computer Crimes Enforcement Groups (RCCEG) and the Regional Computer Forensics Lab.
ICCI instructors also train state and federal law enforcement professionals, and serve as contract instructors with the National White Collar Crime Center in Morgantown, West Virginia.
ICCI staff have participated in public speaking engagements across the country, including the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the Association of Financial Crimes Investigators and various insurance and banking industry conferences.