u/CanaryThunder

On Friday, July 24, near the end of the work day, the Peoria County State’s Attorney published a press release on their Facebook account lauding the success of a sting operation leading to the arrest of a man seeking to commercially sexually exploit a child. The press release found its way to me via a news report from WMBD, and while this would seem like a “win” for survivors and victims like myself, my heart sank as I read the words “juvenile prostitution.” I assumed it was a sloppy error committed by a reporter who had not done their due diligence in keeping up with changes in legal language. But then I clicked through to the source. It was directly pulled from Jodi Hoos’ press release.

Not one to let righteous rage go to waste, I collected my thoughts and sent an email to the State’s Attorney’s Office, Illinois State Police, ISP’s Peoria Metropolitan Enforcement Group, and WMBD reporter Andy Kravetz within mere hours of publication, the full text follows:

“I’m concerned about the use of the term “juvenile prostitution” in the press release from the Peoria State’s Attorney Office and subsequent news report from WMBD (and perhaps elsewhere). House Bill 4410, effective date July 1. 2025, amended various acts and statutes to change the language of “juvenile prostitution” to “commercial sexual exploitation of a child” and the term “juvenile prostitute” to “sexually exploited child.” Prostitution is a crime in which an adult consents to sexual acts in exchange for material gain, a juvenile cannot consent to such an exchange and therefore cannot be a prostitute. Use of this outdated terminology needlessly stigmatizes and implicated victims as criminally culpable for the sexual assaults and exploitation inflicted upon them.

Survivors like myself have done an immense amount of advocacy for ourselves and other victims to ensure the language of state law better reflects the reality of our lived experience, makes coming forward as a victim easier, and provides a pathway to sufficient relief from such egregious abuse. Please be respectful of our labor and the law. A correction on both the source and subsequent news report would be very much appreciated.”

As of Monday night, I have not received a reply, nor have any corrections been made. Since writing that email, Yahoo picked up the original WMBD story, and WEEK published a story on the pre-trial release of the suspect, followed by Peoria Journal Star, both using the same outdated, stigmatizing language that suggests children can consent to selling sex to adults.

It’s worth noting that HB 4410, also known as The Prostitution Investigation Act, bars law enforcement from sexually assaulting people suspected of selling sex. If you’re following along, you’re reading that right, until LAST JULY it was considered a legitimate investigative tactic to rape anyone suspected of selling sex, including trafficking victims. And if you’re really following along, that would potentially include minors posing as adults.

As part of the law, police departments across the state were required to publicly publish the change in policy. Riverwood’s example uses the language of the statute and is prominently displayed on their website. Illinois State University police’s succinct PDF can be accessed via a google search. Why am I posting Riverwood and not Peoria? Because I can’t find it, and when I called the station to ask about it in March no one seemed to know what I was talking about, even at the information office, and the message I left for the Sgt. I was eventually directed to did not return my call. I couldn’t find one for the Bloomington PD either, that’s what netted me the ISU result, and it seems many Illinois Police Departments are not in compliance with this statute.

Please, reach out to the State’s Attorney Office and your local police departments and let them know: it’s not okay to rape children, it’s not okay to rape trafficking victims, it’s not okay to rape sex workers, it’s not okay to rape anyone! Rape is never okay! These laws were created and amended for very important reasons and they should loudly stand with survivors and victims.

(If you got through all that and are interested sharing this post elsewhere, I created a Substack. I'm not on other social media but if there is interest in follow ups or similar local and survivor rights related content, I may post more.)