Connor Passes Bill to Modernize Criminal Justice for the Digital Age

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A new bill backed by state Rep. John Connor, D-Lockport, will help law enforcement catch criminals in the modern age and crack down on criminals who attempt to exploit women and children online.

“As technology has advanced, criminals have always tried to exploit it for their own gain,” Connor said. “As they commit new and different crimes, we need new and different laws to fight those crimes. If we don’t update our regulations, frauds and felons will get off on technicalities, and online crime will rise statewide. This bill allows our law enforcement professionals to keep us safe in all the situations criminals operate.”

Connor helped pass House Bill 2133 which changes the Illinois Criminal Code to expand and clarify the definition of computer and specific computer crimes. These offenses include identity theft, illegally hiding an identity, and tampering with another person’s computer to commit fraud. Connor’s bill also widens the definition of computer-based crimes into include online gambling, non-consensual distribution of personal images and indecent communication with a minor.

Before beginning his service in the General Assembly in 2017, Connor led complex criminal prosecutions for the Will County state’s attorney’s office, including heading a high-tech cybercrime task force that found and convicted over a hundred child pornography downloaders. 

“As a former prosecutor, I know in law enforcement it’s important to have every tool available to catch a criminal,” Connor said. “Being tied up by bureaucratic technicalities isn’t an option. My bill prevents that from happening.”