Illinois Senate Republicans last week unveiled a legislative package aimed at strengthening protections for children and cracking down on trafficking, grooming, sexual exploitation, and predatory offenders.
Republican lawmakers said the package is designed to close dangerous gaps in Illinois law, increase penalties for serious crimes involving minors, and ensure offenders who exploit children face stronger consequences.
The legislative package includes:
- Senate Bill 284, also known as Andrew’s Law, would eliminate plea deals for individuals charged with involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, trafficking in persons involving a minor, or grooming, preventing those charges from being reduced to lesser offenses. The bill would also make it a Class 4 felony for a child sex offender to work at, volunteer at, or be present at a facility that exclusively provides entertainment for minors.
- Senate Bill 1572 would increase penalties for human trafficking and related crimes by raising each offense by one felony class. For the most serious Class X offenses, the bill would set a prison sentence of 9 to 45 years.
- Senate Bill 2381 would require sex offender registration for individuals convicted of unauthorized video recording of minors in private spaces if the offense was found to be sexually motivated. The measure responds to a gap in current Illinois law that has allowed some offenders to avoid registration even in cases involving the secret recording of children in bathrooms, locker rooms, or other private areas.
Senator Arellano said protecting children must remain a top priority and that Illinois laws should reflect the seriousness and lasting harm caused by trafficking, grooming, and sexual exploitation.