The Illinois Sex Offender Registry website is an Internet database that lists individuals who have been convicted of certain sex offenses. The database lists the names, addresses, photographs, and physical descriptions of perpetrators. It also includes information about the specific crimes for which the offender has been convicted. This information is available to anyone with access to the Internet, including friends, family members, neighbors, and potential employers. If you have been accused of a violent or sex-related crime, you should speak to a skilled criminal defense attorney as soon as possible to protect your future.

Types of Sexual Crimes

In some cases, a conviction is not needed for a criminal defendant to be required to register as a sex offender. A defendant may still be required to appear on the sex offender registry if he or she is found not guilty by reason of insanity, pleads no contest, takes a plea deal, and in other specific circumstances. Criminal offenses that require the offender to register as a sex offender include but are not limited to:

Criminal sexual assault is any act of sexual penetration in which the perpetrator uses threat or force; knows the victim is unable to give knowing consent; is related to the victim and the victim is over 18; holds some position of trust or authority over the victim who is age 17 or older; or is in supervisory care over the victim who is 13-17 years old. If you or someone you know has been charged with criminal sexual assault in Illinois, it is best to speak to a skilled criminal defense lawyer to plan your defense.

What Are the Punishments for Sexual Assault?

Charges for criminal sexual assault will vary, depending on the circumstances. A first offense is a Class 1 felony. However, if the perpetrator has a previous charge, he or she could face Class X felony charges, which could mean at least 30 years in prison. With a previous conviction of aggravated criminal sexual assault or predatory assault of a child, the punishment could be up to life in prison.

A bipartisan bill to encourage the reporting of sexual assault in Illinois has passed both houses of the Illinois legislature and will be sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner for final approval. The bill is intended to improve the response of 911 operators, first responders, and law enforcement to sexual assault victims through implementing training, policies and procedures. It is also designed to improve procedures for the transmission of sexual assault evidence from hospitals to law enforcement agencies.

Sexual Assault Reporting

The goal of the bill is to increase the rate of reporting and prosecution in sexual assault cases in Illinois. According to statistics by the Bureau of Justice, in 2014, only 34 percent of sexual assault cases were reported across the nation. Often, this is because victims do not assume that their stories will be believed. The bill is aimed at encouraging victims to come forward and report incidents of assault to the police and at increasing successful prosecution of assault cases.

In August, Governor Rauner signed the Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act. The law imposes a variety of requirements on institutions of higher education in regards to their policies and procedures concerning sexual violence on campus. The law took effect immediately, although most of its requirements do not become applicable until August 1, 2016.

Coverage

The new law applies to public universities, public community colleges, and independent not-for-profit and for-profit higher education institutions.

Historically, in Illinois, a man could not be convicted of rape or other sex offenses if the victim was his wife. However, today, marital rape is a crime, and a person who forces unwanted sexual contact upon a spouse may be prosecuted.

Sexual Assault Laws

In Illinois, a person commits the crime of sexual assault when he or she engages in sexual penetration, either by force or when the victim is unable to consent. “Sexual penetration” means contact between the anus or sex organ of one person and an object or sex organ, mouth, or anus of another person. It also includes any intrusion, however slight, of any part of a person or animal’s body into the anus or sex organ of another person.