As the Attorney General for the state of Illinois I have always been committed to the protection and safety of the citizens of Illinois. As a parent I also recognize the added challenge of protecting our children from the online attacks of sexual predators using the Internet. On this site you will find answers to some of the most often asked questions about the online world. There are also links and an email address to assist you in reporting criminal acts such as child pornography, sexual solicitation of a child, and how to report a missing child.

Lisa Madigan

While exploring the Internet, children may be exposed to inappropriate material and conduct through the World Wide Web, e-mail, and chat rooms. Chat rooms pose a particularly serious threat. In chat rooms, remote users can carry on conversations anonymously, concealing their true identities. Taking advantage of this anonymity, child predators often make their first contact with victims through chat rooms and instant messages. The best defense against inappropriate material is to set and discuss family rules for Internet use. The following safety tips may be helpful in crafting such rules for your family:

http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/children/safetytips.html

To report online child exploitation, send an e-mail to: illinoisicactip@atg.state.il.us.

To make an anonymous report click or call the CYBER TIPLINE

• The Internet
• A chat room
• An instant message
• An email message
• A website
• A file
• A jpg, gif, mpg, mp3
• A trojan
• Spyware
• A blog or online journal
• A profile