PROTECTING INNOCENCE
Illinois Draws a Line in the Digital Sand: Alicia’s Law Targets Predators Who Hide in Plain Sight
One survivor’s nightmare has become Illinois’ permanent defense for children, because in the world of online predators, every second counts.
By Mike Monseur – August 12, 2025
The message was simple: “You can trust me.”
It appeared on a glowing screen in a dark bedroom, late at night, while the rest of the house slept.
There was no scream, no smashed window, no broken lock—just a click.
A friend request.
A DM.
A “harmless” chat.
Hours later, a 13-year-old girl named Alicia was gone—vanished into the clutches of a predator she thought was a friend. The monster didn’t need to prowl the streets. He only needed Wi-Fi.
That night, Alicia’s childhood was stolen. But she lived to tell the story. Barely.
Now, decades later, her name is on a law that tells predators: You can’t hide here anymore.
It’s called Alicia’s Law, and in Illinois, it’s more than legislation—it’s a warning shot across the digital underworld.
The Law That Refuses to Look Away
House Bill 2586—signed into law this year—ensures that investigating internet crimes against children is no longer dependent on budgets, politics, or short-term grants. It is now a permanent mission of the Illinois State Police (ISP), with guaranteed funding, staffing, and investigative power.
These crimes aren’t just online conversations gone wrong. They’re calculated hunts: grooming children through social media, luring them to meet for abuse, cyberstalking to intimidate, and producing and trading child sexual abuse material in hidden corners of the internet.
The numbers are staggering—and rising.
2018: 68 cases opened, 8 arrests.
2024: 261 cases opened, 46 arrests.
“The internet is ubiquitous and not going anywhere… ISP wanted to make sure we had the resources we need—now and in the future—to investigate these crimes and prevent more children from becoming victims,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly.
Predators Don’t Care About Politics—and Neither Should We
One of the rare bright spots in Illinois politics? This was bipartisan.
Republican Representative Dennis Tipsword, a former sheriff’s deputy, co-sponsored the bill alongside Democratic lawmakers. His law enforcement background gave him no illusions about the nature of the threat: predators are opportunists, and political affiliation means nothing to them.
State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) emphasized unity in the fight:
“By improving coordination between state and local agencies, we’re ensuring children across Illinois are safer.”
Representative Martin J. Moylan (D-Des Plaines) put it bluntly:
“It is imperative we provide law enforcement with consistent resources… This law ensures that investigation of crimes against our children remains a priority—always.”
Inside the War Room: How They Catch Them
The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force doesn’t work in brightly lit offices. Much of their job is spent inside the shadows—navigating encrypted chatrooms, monitoring hidden servers, and infiltrating dark web markets where predators trade images and videos like currency.
Their weapons?
AI-powered scanning tools that detect illegal images.
Cyber-forensics that trace predators across anonymous accounts.
Undercover operations that bait predators into revealing themselves.
It’s gut-wrenching work.
“You never get used to it,” one ISP investigator admitted. “Every image is a child whose life has been shattered. But every arrest means one less predator out there hunting tonight.”
What You Can Do—Before the Law Has To Step In
Parents and communities are the first line of defense. While Alicia’s Law arms law enforcement, it cannot replace parental vigilance.
Check devices—phones, tablets, gaming systems.
Know the apps your children use, and who they talk to.
Talk early and often about online safety and grooming tactics.
Report immediately if you suspect inappropriate contact.
To report a tip:
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: 1-800-THE-LOST
Illinois ICAC Task Force: [email protected]
The Moral Line We Must Hold
This isn’t just another bill signing—it’s a line in the digital sand. It’s Illinois declaring that it will hunt predators relentlessly, wherever they hide.
But there’s a sobering truth: twelve other states still don’t have Alicia’s Law. Every day they delay is another day a predator has free rein.
“Illinois children are now safer, and more predators will be stopped before they can hurt a child. That’s the commitment every state should make,” Alicia said.
We live in an age when danger can slip into your child’s life without ever opening a door. The question isn’t whether it’s out there—it’s whether we will stand in its way.
Illinois has chosen to fight.
Will the rest of America?
Sources:
Illinois State Police Press Release on Alicia’s Law, 2025
Statements from Alicia “Kozak” Kozakiewicz
Statements from ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly, Sen. Julie Morrison, Rep. Martin J. Moylan, and Rep. Dennis Tipsword
ICAC Task Force case data
