325 ILCS 15/ Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Act.

(325 ILCS 15/0.01) (from Ch. 23, par. 2080)

Sec. 0.01. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-1324.)

(325 ILCS 15/1) (from Ch. 23, par. 2081)

Sec. 1. The General Assembly finds that there is a need to develop programs to provide the kinds of innovative strategies and services which will prevent, ameliorate, reduce, and eliminate the trauma of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

The General Assembly also finds that for the purposes of developing and providing such programs and services, and for training and providing information to city, county and state personnel throughout the state, and otherwise educating the general public, about child sexual abuse and exploitation, prevention and treatment services and centers should be established.

(Source: P.A. 84-564.)

(325 ILCS 15/2) (from Ch. 23, par. 2082)

Sec. 2. The Department of Children and Family Services shall develop programs and services for the prevention of child sexual abuse and exploitation and shall provide for the treatment and counseling of sexually abused children and their families, where such sexual abuse or exploitation was inflicted by the child's immediate care giver, or any person responsible for the child's welfare, whenever possible, through community based child abuse grants or other appropriate means.

(Source: P.A. 84-564.)

(325 ILCS 15/3) (from Ch. 23, par. 2083)

Sec. 3. The functions and goals of the programs to be developed and provided by the Department of Children and Family Services shall include:

(a) Provision of counseling, treatment, rehabilitation and assistance to sexually abused and exploited children and their families, particularly to victims of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, aggravated criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse and criminal sexual abuse and child pornography, and provision of training and education and professional counseling to other persons responsible for the child's welfare, personnel of the Department responsible for the licensure of facilities under the Child Care Act of 1969, and persons required to file reports and conduct investigations of such reports under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act;

(b) Hastening the process of reconstituting the family and the marriage, where such would be in the interest of the child;

(c) Marshaling and coordinating the services of all agencies responsible for the detection of a sexually abused and exploited child and for serving such a child, the child's family, or others responsible for the child's welfare, as well as for the development of other resources necessary to ensure a comprehensive program for the prevention of such abuse and exploitation, supportive case management;

(d) Responding to individual physical, emotional, and social needs of clients so that supportive services are individually tailored and applied as long as necessary;

(e) Informing the public at large and professional agencies about the problem of child sexual abuse and exploitation, methods of detecting and responding to such incidents, including those established under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, the availability of State service and other resources for responding to victims of such abuse and exploitation, and about the existence and supportive approach of treatment center programs; and

(f) Development of informational and training materials and seminars to assure the availability of such programs and services throughout the State, emphasizing the need for cooperation and coordination with all appropriate elements of the criminal justice system and law enforcement system.

(Source: P.A. 89-428, eff. 12-13-95; 89-462, eff. 5-29-96.)

(325 ILCS 15/4) (from Ch. 23, par. 2084)

Sec. 4. The Department of Children and Family Services shall support through a grant program a child sexual abuse crisis intervention demonstration center in Cook County and in other parts of the State as funding permits. The functions and goals of such crisis intervention centers shall be:

(a) To respond within 24 hours or as soon thereafter as possible to a report of child sexual abuse or exploitation by professional contact with the child and the child's family, and with those persons in the courts and police department involved in the case.

(b) The agents of such crisis intervention centers shall:

(1) refer the child, and the child's family if appropriate, to counseling services, including those provided by the treatment centers;

(2) accompany the victim through all stages of police investigation, case development and trial where necessary;

(3) provide advice to involved police, assistant district attorneys, and judges in the proper handling of a child subjected to sexual abuse and exploitation whenever possible. This advice will be made with consideration to the following priorities:

(i) the welfare of the child; and

(ii) improved chances for a successful prosecution;

(4) make every effort to develop an approach which meets the needs of developing a sound case by assisting the child to understand and cope with the child's role in the prosecution process.

(c) The crisis intervention demonstration centers shall develop and implement written procedures for case planning and case monitoring in relation to the processes of treatment and of investigation and prosecution.

(d) Crisis intervention agents should demonstrate evidence of professional knowledge of child development and a record of positive interaction with the police and courts.

(e) The centers shall develop training materials for city and county and State personnel through the State to enable emulation and adaptation of the program by other communities and to develop awareness of the problems faced by a child sexual abuse victim as the victim confronts the criminal justice system.

(f) The centers shall report to the director improvements in the criminal justice system and the interrelation of the criminal justice system and child support systems that would serve to meet the goals of this Act.

(g) Reports of child sexual abuse referred for investigation to a local law enforcement agency in Cook County by the State Central Registry of the Department of Children and Family Services must also be referred to the crisis intervention center. Reports of child sexual abuse made directly to a local law enforcement agency in Cook County may be referred by that agency to the crisis intervention center. All centers shall make local law enforcement agencies aware of their purposes and encourage their utilization.

(Source: P.A. 103-22, eff. 8-8-23.)

(325 ILCS 15/5) (from Ch. 23, par. 2085)

Sec. 5. All records concerning reports of child sexual abuse or exploitation made to child sexual abuse and exploitation treatment center or to child sexual abuse crisis intervention demonstration centers and all records generated as a result of such reports, shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except as specifically authorized by this Act or other applicable law. It is a Class A misdemeanor to permit, assist, or encourage the unauthorized release of any information contained in such reports or records.

Nothing contained in this Act prevents the sharing or disclosure of information or records relating or pertaining to juveniles subject to the provisions of the Serious Habitual Offender Comprehensive Action Program when that information is used to assist in the early identification and treatment of habitual juvenile offenders.

(Source: P.A. 87-928.)

(325 ILCS 15/6) (from Ch. 23, par. 2086)

Sec. 6. The centers may seek, receive, and make use of any funds which may be made available from federal, voluntary, philanthropic, or other sources in order to augment any state funds appropriated for the purposes of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 82-712.)

(325 ILCS 15/7) (from Ch. 23, par. 2087)

Sec. 7. The Director of the Department of Children and Family Services shall submit annual reports to the General Assembly concerning the Department's findings regarding the degree of achievement of the goals of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 103-22, eff. 8-8-23.)