State’s Attorney James Glasgow Announces Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Casson Receives Sheriff Department Civilian Service Award

December 31, 2020

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced today that Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Casson has been presented with the Will County Sheriff Department’s Civilian Service Award. Casson’s contributions include the key role he played in two significant cases – one involving child luring, and the other involving aggravated kidnappings and armed robberies in New Lenox and Frankfort that received broad media attention.

“Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Casson is known for his commitment, perseverance, and extensive knowledge on a wide range of legal issues including those involving the complexities of our ever-advancing technologies,” Glasgow said. “As this Award from the Sheriff’s Department makes clear, Mike is not only valuable to our Office, but to the broader law enforcement community. He routinely works closely with members of law enforcement and government agencies on highly complex and multifaceted cases. I am proud of Mike’s selfless dedication in ensuring the safety of the citizens of our Will County community.”

Will County Deputy Chief Dan Jungles presented the award to Casson. This Award typically is presented at the Sheriff Department’s annual banquet, which was cancelled this year in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Sheriff’s Department is pleased to present this award to Mike in recognition of his expert knowledge of the law, his integrity, his reliability, and his willingness to work day and night with our detectives whenever they are in need of his services,” Jungles said. “This Award expresses our appreciation to Mike for continually assisting the Sheriff’s Department with his expertise and diligence.”

Casson has served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Will County since 2004. He currently serves as Deputy Chief of Complaints & Supervisor of Computer Crimes.

“It is a great honor to receive this award from the Sheriff’s Department,” Casson said. “I appreciate the opportunity to work with our law enforcement community and contribute to our criminal justice system. I’m also extremely grateful to State’s Attorney Glasgow for the many and varied opportunities he has given me, and to my colleagues for the continued support.”

State’s Attorney Glasgow expressed his appreciation to Will County Sheriff Mike Kelley, Dan Jungles, and nominating Detective Brian O’Leary, for their recognition of Mike Casson’s work.

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James Glasgow Announces More Than 1,600 Low-Level Cannabis Possession Cases Will Be Expunged Under Order Signed by Chief Judge Daniel Kennedy

December 29, 2020

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that he presented a Motion today before Chief Judge Kennedy to expunge the records of 1,653 low-level cannabis possession cases involving misdemeanor possession of less than 30 grams of cannabis. Chief Judge Kennedy signed the Order to Expunge upon receipt of Glasgow’s Motion. The expungements are the result of a cooperative effort between the State’s Attorney’s Office, the Will County Twelfth Judicial Circuit, and Will County Circuit Clerk Andrea Lynn Chasteen.

Under the new law legalizing recreational cannabis use and sales, expungement is automatic for cases involving possession of less than 30 grams of cannabis. The law requires the Illinois State Police, Prisoner Review Board, and Illinois Attorney General to identify and expunge eligible low-level cannabis offense records, arrests, charges, and/or convictions according to the following schedule:

·          January 1, 2021, for offenses occurring between January 1, 2013, and June 25, 2019.

·          January 1, 2023, for offenses occurring between January 1, 2000, and January 1, 2013.

·          January 1, 2025, for offenses occurring before January 1, 2000.

The statute gives Illinois State’s Attorneys the authority to expedite the expungement process by filing a motion to vacate and expunge eligible offenses. The records expunged under today’s Order involve low-level cannabis offenses occurring between January 1, 2013 and June 25, 2019. State’s Attorney Glasgow will file additional motions to address the remaining cases set to be expunged in advance of the time frames set by the statute.

“Expunging criminal records of people with the low-level cannabis convictions addressed in today’s Order will help these individuals move forward with their lives and place their convictions permanently behind them,” Glasgow said. “Today’s Order is a step in removing barriers to those who have been impacted as a result of having a criminal record based on these low-level cannabis possession cases. Back in 1998, I successfully wrote the grant creating Will County’s Drug Court, and spearheaded each of our other Problem Solving Courts as well. I truly understand the importance of removing obstacles and providing opportunities. That is exactly what today’s Order will do for those whose records will be expunged.”

In signing the Order, Chief Judge Kennedy stated, “Restorative justice is important to Will County and to our society as a whole. These expungements demonstrate our commitment to this principle.”

Individuals who wish to find out whether their records will be expunged under the Order may contact the Will County Circuit Clerk’s Office at circuitclerkofwillcounty.com, or by calling 815-727-8592. The Order addresses offenses involving possession of less than 30 grams of cannabis that occurred between January 1, 2013 and June 25, 2019.

“We will be working hard to provide the certainty these people are seeking that their case has, indeed, been expunged,” said Circuit Clerk Andrea Chasteen. “This is just one step in a multi-year process of expunging thousands of records for low-level marijuana possession offenses. Our office is doing everything we can to ensure this rolling process runs smoothly and efficiently.”

Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant applauded today’s action. “This effort is a testament to our Will County officials working together for the benefit of our community. Three offices were involved in this collaborative effort. I thank them for this step in helping provide certainty and an opportunity to the people whose cases are expunged.”

Although the Act also gives authority to expunge class 4 felony and misdemeanor cannabis delivery offenses, the motion to vacate and expunge addressed simple cannabis possession cases that are not associated with felony charges or offenses outlined by the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act

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Statement by Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow on Appeals Court Opinion Affirming Drew Peterson Conviction in Murder-For-Hire Scheme Against Glasgow

December 14, 2020

JOLIET –  On December 11, 2020, the Fifth District Illinois Appellate Court denied Drew Peterson’s appeal requesting the reversal of his conviction for solicitation to commit the murder for hire of State’s Attorney James Glasgow by hiring a fellow inmate to murder Glasgow. Below is State’s Attorney Glasgow’s statement:

This is an important decision for the rule of law as well as for all prosecutors. Our society would collapse if criminals could get away with their crimes by murdering the prosecutors before or after being brought to justice. A prosecutor’s family should never be placed at risk because the prosecutor has done their job. I appreciate the skilled work of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Randolph County State’s Attorney Jeremy Walker, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Illinois Department of Corrections in securing this conviction, and the thoughtful deliberation of the Appellate Court in its decision affirming it.

Glasgow successfully prosecuted Peterson in 2012 for the murder of Peterson’s third wife, Kathy Savio, and Peterson received a 38-year prison sentence. During Peterson’s right of allocution, he stated that Glasgow had destroyed his life. While in the penitentiary, Peterson solicited another inmate to murder Glasgow for $10,000. After the inmate wrote a letter to Glasgow disclosing Peterson’s murder-for-hire plot, Peterson’s scheme to murder Glasgow was captured in full on a listening device. One of the many recordings demonstrated that Peterson feared Glasgow would prosecute him for another murder, relating to the disappearance of Peterson’s fourth wife, Stacy. A jury convicted Peterson of solicitation to commit murder for hire. Peterson was sentenced to a prison term of 40 years, to be served back-to-back with the sentence for Savio’s murder.

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James Glasgow Sworn Into Record-Setting Seventh Term as Will County State’s Attorney

 December 1, 2020

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow was sworn in today for his seventh term in office by Chief Judge Daniel Kennedy, further securing Glasgow’s place in local history as Will County’s longest-serving State’s Attorney. Kennedy administered the oath of office to Glasgow in a Zoom swearing-in ceremony in light of precautions being taken during the coronavirus pandemic. Immediately afterward, also via Zoom, the Chief Judge administered the oath to the Office’s 71 assistant state’s attorneys. 

“I am honored that the people of Will County have chosen me to protect the interests of our community as their top prosecutor for more than two and a half decades,” State’s Attorney Glasgow said. “Together with the highly skilled and dedicated attorneys, legal secretaries, and administrators on my team, the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office maintains a felony conviction rate 15 points higher than the state average while also implementing groundbreaking programs and initiatives in terms of crime prevention and rehabilitation.”

This marks Glasgow’s fifth consecutive term. He was first elected as Will County State’s Attorney in 1992, and was re-elected in 1996. After being out of the office for one term beginning in 2000, he returned in 2004 and has served consecutive terms ever since. 

Among noteworthy cases, Glasgow successfully prosecuted Drew Peterson for the murder of his third wife in a landmark case that attracted international attention. Peterson is serving a 38-year sentence, as well as an additional consecutive 40-year sentence for soliciting the murder for hire of State’s Attorney Glasgow. He also obtained the conviction of Christopher Vaughn in the murders of his wife and three children. Vaughn was sentenced to four consecutive life terms in prison for the murders.

Glasgow established the Office’s first Gang Prosecution Unit, which was featured on Peter Jennings’ World News Tonight. The recording heard at the courthouse entrance is the result of a petition State’s Attorney Glasgow brought to the Chief Judge after a mob action involving 40 gang members. The petition requested an administrative order that banned certain specific gang behavior in the courthouse and empowered the police with the authority to arrest for indirect contempt of court.

Glasgow also pioneered Will County’s first comprehensive Domestic Violence Protocol and worked with the law enforcement community on using this protocol to investigate these crimes. He convinced the Chief Judge to establish Will County’s first specialized Domestic Violence Court, and formed a specialized Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit consisting of attorneys and advocates who provide individuals the support they need to follow through with the prosecution of their abusers.

Additionally, in 2012, Glasgow established the first High Tech Crimes Unit, which tracks down those who engage in sexual exploitation of children through photos and the internet. In 2016, Glasgow acquired Illinois’ first electronics detection canine, “Cache,” who is deployed during the execution of search warrants to locate hidden devices.

“As our State’s Attorney, I have had the extraordinary opportunity to protect our citizens in innovative ways,” Glasgow said. “Through vigorous prosecutions, innovative diversionary programs in the courtroom, and partnerships in our community, I have worked tirelessly to make the State’s Attorney’s Office a conduit for positive change throughout Will County.”

Glasgow’s community initiatives include:

Will County Children’s Advocacy Center. Glasgow established the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center 25 years ago to provide hope, healing, and justice to sexually abused children. Since its inception, the CAC has served literally thousands of children. Glasgow has expanded the CAC’s services to include the Paws 4 Kids program that provides therapy dogs to help comfort the children, the Will County Anti-Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation Coalition, and a satellite office in eastern Will County. The CAC will be moving from its current location to a state-of-the art, 15,000 square foot facility which will provide the private space necessary for accreditation and continued growth.

Problem Solving Courts. State’s Attorney Glasgow spearhaded the creation of each of Will County’s Problem Solving Courts. He wrote and administrated the grant funding the creation of the Drug Court; established the Mental Health Court with former Will County Chief Judge Gerald Kinney; petitioned for the formation of the Will County Veterans Court; and wrote and obtained the grant for the Redeploy Illinois Court.

Residential facilities. To further help Problem Solving Court participants on the path to reentry, Glasgowestablishedthe Miller Taylor House and Julie Ann House to provide rehabilitation housing, and in 2019 opened the Connor Kelly Residence which provides longer-term transitional housing.

K9s to Local Law Enforcement.  Glasgow has provided drug-detection K9s to local law enforcement throughout Will County. Currently, seven police K9s were provided to local communities by the State’s Attorney’s Office:Simo (Crest Hill), Tucker (Park Forest), Rookie (Shorewood), Sam (Elwood), Hutch (Channahon), Roxie (Rockdale), and Mao (Wilmington). The K-9s, their training, and the transport equipment installed in the police vehicles have been paid for with drug asset money seized from criminals, at no cost to taxpayers. Glasgow also helped purchase explosive detection dog Loki for the Will County Sheriff’s Department.

League of Extraordinary Canines & Friends.  In 2019, Glasgow established The League of Extraordinary Canines & Friends to bring together the resources to address animal abuse and neglect, and the propensity of people who hurt animals to harm other individuals. Glasgow received a national award for this work earlier this year, being named one of “American’s Top Ten Animal Defenders” by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF). Glasgow authored Illinois’ 1999 statute creating the state’s first criminal felony charge for animal cruelty, and established an Animal Protection Unit of three assistant state’s attorney to work with law enforcement on prosecuting animal abuse and neglect cases.

Partnerships. Using money forfeited by criminals and in partnership with local businessman Terry D’Arcy, Glasgow has donated vehicles at no cost to taxpayers to the Veterans Assistance Commission, Boys & Girls Club of Joliet, the Spanish Community Center, and the Forest Park Community Center, along with the “Hidden in Plain Sight” vehicle and trailer to the Heroin Epidemic Relief Organization. In 2016, the State’s Attorney’s Office made a $10,000 contribution to Guardian Angel Community Services, also using forfeiture funds, to cover the cost of 24 new steel-frame beds for the Groundwork Emergency Shelter to serve domestic violence victims.

In addition to the award from ALDF, Glasgow’s honors include the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award from Senior Services of Will County, the 2017 George Sangmeister Medal of Excellence for Community Service from Childerguild & Silver Cross Hospital, the 2013 Community Advocate Award for Outstanding Leadership and Contribution in the Work against Domestic Violence from the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network, and the 2014 Award of Recognition from Will County Take Back the Night. The Illinois State Crime Commission has awarded Glasgow its prestigious State’s Attorney of the Year honor on an unprecedented four occasions over the past two decades and presented him with a Career Achievement Award in 2016. He also received the prestigious Mitchell A. Mars Prosecutorial Excellence Award from the Chicago Crime Commission in 2012 for his outstanding effort in the prosecution of Drew Peterson.

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State’s Attorney Glasgow Establishes Election Fraud Hotline, Urges Public to Report Election Irregularities

November 3, 2020

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow today urged citizens to report election irregularities to his office’s Election Fraud Hotline during the November 3, 2020, General Election.

“I have again established a telephone hotline for citizens to report inappropriate activity, such as passing out campaign literature or other acts of electioneering either inside or too close to polling places,” Glasgow said. “Every member of our community can play a critical role in helping to preserve the integrity of our election process by staying alert for unusual activities at or near polling places and reporting irregularities.”

The State’s Attorney’s Election Fraud Hotline number is (815) 727-8872.

State’s Attorney Glasgow has assigned two-person teams, each consisting of one assistant state’s attorney and one investigator, to travel to polling places where irregularities are reported on Election Day.

Assistant state’s attorneys not assigned to specific teams will be available for dispatch from the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office to investigate allegations of election irregularities reported to the Hotline.

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State’s Attorney Glasgow Announces Graduation of 12 Drug Court Participants

October 6, 2020

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow has announced that 12 individuals from Will County’s Drug Court graduated in a socially distanced ceremony held October 1 during which family members watched via Zoom. Glasgow commended the graduates for continuing their commitment to the program throughout the challenges posed by Covid-19.

“As the pandemic has continued, our Drug Court participants have persevered with dedication on their paths to a better future. These most recent graduates are a testament to how our Drug Court program serves as a crucial hand up to individuals seeking better lives,” Glasgow said. “This has been a challenging time for all of us. For these individuals to have maintained their efforts throughout the pandemic speaks volumes about their commitment to making a better life and becoming productive members of society. The Will County Problem Solving Courts are changing lives and keeping individuals out of the prison system on a daily basis.”

Circuit Judge Sarah Jones presided over the graduation ceremony. The graduates hail from Joliet, New Lenox, Monee, Shorewood, Essex, Lockport, Plainfield, and Bolingbrook.

Glasgow played an integral role in creating each of Will County’s four Problem Solving Courts. He spearheaded the creation of the Drug Court – Will County’s first Problem Solving Court – when he wrote and administered the grant that funded its formation. Along with Will County Chief Judge Gerald Kinney, Glasgow established the Mental Health Court in 2010. He also petitioned for the formation of the Will County Veterans Court, and wrote and obtained the grant for the Adult Redeploy Illinois Court to steer qualifying repeat offenders away from prison and into gainful employment.

State’s Attorney Glasgow also established three residential facilities to further help Problem Solving Court participants on the path to reentry. The Miller Taylor House and Julie Ann House provide temporary housing, and the Connor Kelly Residence which opened in 2019 provides longer-term transitional housing.

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Samuel Quintero Sentenced by Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak to 15 Years for Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child and Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse

August 6, 2020

JOLIET, IL – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow has announced that Samuel Quintero, 35, of Joliet was sentenced to 15 years in prison by Circuit Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak on two counts of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child, a Class X felony, and five counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, a Class 2 felony. The sentence also includes lifetime sex offender registration.

Quintero’s conduct was reported in 2016 when the victim was 14. As a high school freshman, the girl began crying at school and told a friend about the abuse. The girl was seen by a counselor, and informed the counselor of the abuse. In the Victim Sensitive Interview conducted by the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center’s Multi-Disciplinary Team, the victim stated that the abuse spanned a number of years and began when she was approximately six years old. The abuse generally occurred when she spent weekends visiting her father, who was separated from the mother, in his Joliet home.

“A parent has an absolute duty to provide a child with unconditional love, and the breach of this most sacred obligation in the human condition is unforgiveable. This girl has been damaged and the abuse will continue to impact her throughout her entire life,” Glasgow said. “This vile predator heartlessly took advantage of his own daughter’s innocence for his demented gratification, terrorizing her for years. This evil and depraved abuser has received a prison sentence here on earth, and will serve an even greater sentence when he meets his maker. This young woman is to be commended for her courage in coming forward and standing up to the pedophile who continually abused her throughout her childhood.”

Quintero’s sentencing followed a bench trial that concluded on June 12, 2020. He will receive 1,323 days of credit for time served. Quintero had been eligible for a sentence of 15 to 127 years in prison.

In her victim impact statement to the Court, the daughter said:

“You were supposed to be the one to protect me from this, from men like you. That’s what messed my head all up. It was so confusing; do you love me or do you love my body? How could you love me, but still treat me like that? You made me feel like maybe I just wasn’t a good person, maybe this was something I deserved. You made me feel like I was unlovable. To this day I feel like, how could anyone love me if you couldn’t love me for anything more than my body. How do I deserve anything more from anyone else? Why wasn’t I enough? Why wasn’t I enough for you to stop? These are questions that I’ll have to carry with me for the rest of my life. You weren’t just some stranger, you were my father and I expected better.”

In 1995, Glasgow established the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center to offer a comprehensive approach to providing hope, healing, and justice for abused youngsters such as the victim in this case.

“Our family and trauma counselors are the best in the State, and will continue working tirelessly to help this young lady lead a productive and fulfilling life in the face of this penultimate breach of trust,” Glasgow said.

The CAC’s Multi-Disciplinary Team engages in a collaborative approach to taking the child’s statement, which protects the integrity of the information gathered and allows prosecutors and investigators to thoroughly assess possible criminal offenses that may have been committed. Further, advocates help the children and non-offending family members navigate the process, and trauma-focused therapists provide counseling to address the impact of the abuse.

Glasgow thanked the Multi-Disciplinary Team that handled the case, commending Assistant State’s Attorneys Jeff Brown and Ashley Kwasneski, Victim Witness Advocate Danette Pasdertz, Will County CAC Forensic Interviewer Jackie Lundquist, Will County CAC Trauma Therapists Cruz Ramirez Arzuaga and Denise Arroyo, State’s Attorney’s Office Assistant Katrice Sawyer, and Joliet Police Department Detective Shawn Filipiak for their dedication, perseverance, and outstanding work.

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State’s Attorney Glasgow Announces Arties Titus Sentenced to 24 Years for 2016 Home Invasion

August 5, 2020

JOLIET, IL – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow has announced that Arties Titus, 53, of Joliet was sentenced to 24 years in prison by Circuit Judge David Carlson on two counts of Home Invasion, a Class X felony, for entering his former girlfriend’s home through a window in 2016 while yielding a knife and slashing the woman and her boyfriend.

Titus had entered the victim’s home by cutting a screen in the front of her residence. Knowing she was in the basement, he went to the downstairs bedroom holding two kitchen knives and told the woman and her boyfriend victim they “were going to die.” He then began slashing at the couple and a struggle ensued during which both victims were slashed and the boyfriend was bitten. The boyfriend eventually wrestled the knives away from Titus, who then fled the scene. He was arrested shortly after, and while being placed in handcuffs yelled out to the victims, “just remember, when I get out, I’m killing you both.”

At the time of the arrest, Titus had been out of prison for less than three months after serving time for another domestic violence attack involving a separate victim.

“Titus displayed the epitome of rank cowardice, using unbridled violence to prey upon and control his unarmed victims,” Glasgow said. “Everyone has the absolute right to feel safe in their own home. This malevolent predator viciously and without provocation violated the sanctity of a woman’s home, initially taunting his victims that they were going to die, ruthlessly slashing them, stopping only when he was disarmed, and then reprising his threat to kill even when he was in custody. His deplorable actions are clear evidence of a malignant heart that justifies the sentence he so richly deserves.”

The 24-year sentence followed a bench trial that concluded on October 10, 2019. Titus will receive 1,466 days of credit for time served.

Glasgow praised Assistant State’s Attorneys John Rickmon and Tom Slazyk, as well as Victim Witness Services Director Nichole Pasteris, for their dedication and hard work throughout the course of the case.

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State’s Attorney Glasgow Announces Convicted Felon Devon Herron Sentenced to 38 Years for Attempted Murder of Senior Citizen in 2016

July 24, 2020

JOLIET, IL – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow has announced that Devon Herron, 24, of Joliet was sentenced to 38 years in prison by Circuit Judge David Carlson for the brutal stabbing on July 25, 2016, of a then 65-year-old man near the Metra train station at East Jefferson and Richards Streets in Joliet. Herron previously served prison time for aggravated battery in a separate occurrence that also took place on July 25, 2016, the same date as the attempted murder for which he was convicted in this case. Herron also previously had been convicted of residential burglary, a forcible felony, in Cook County.

Immediately before the July 2016 stabbing at issue here, Herron had approached the victim, asking “you’re not from around here, are you?” He then stabbed the victim multiple times in the neck, shoulder, stomach, shoulder, back, chest and forearm. Later, Herron told others he believed he fatally stabbed the man in the neck with a knife.  Following a bench trial, Herron was found guilty on January 16, 2020, on two counts of attempted murder, a Class X felony, and four counts of aggravated battery, a Class 1 felony. Because the victim was over the age of 60 at the time of the attack, the potential maximum sentence was doubled from 30 to 60 years. Herron will receive approximately three years’ credit (1096 days) for time served.

“This was a brutal, savage, and unprovoked attack on a defenseless senior citizen who was simply walking to his brother’s house,” Glasgow said. “This compassionless assailant showed no mercy in repeatedly stabbing this 65-year-old man for his own twisted gratification and leaving him for dead. Prison will now entomb this demonic predator for at least the next three plus decades.”

Glasgow praised Assistant State’s Attorneys Tom Slazyk and Tom Bahar, Victim Witness Services Director Nichole Pasteris, and Donna White and Albert Bailey for their expertise, hard work, and dedication throughout the course of the prosecution.

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State’s Attorney Glasgow Announces Will County Children’s Advocacy Center To Receive Three Grants Totaling $604,000

July 7, 2020

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced today that the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) has been selected to receive three grants for programs to help children who have endured sexual abuse, severe physical abuse, sexual exploitation, child pornography, neglect, and exposure to violence.

The largest grant, totaling $504,000, is a Victim of Crime Assistance (VOCA) Continuation Grant administered through the Children’s Advocacy Center of Illinois to provide critical forensic interviews, victim advocacy, and trauma-focused therapy services to child victims of abuse, and their non-offending caregivers. The additional two grants, awarded by the National Children’s Alliance through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Justice, will provide $75,000 to expand resources for the victims of child pornography and child sex exploitation, and $25,000 to expand mental health services.

“These significant grants will enable the CAC to continue its mission of providing hope, healing and justice for young victims of sexual abuse and assault,” Glasgow said. “We rely upon grants like this to help us continue evolving with creative programs and offerings to meet the needs of our communities as we help victims on their paths to reclaiming their lives.”

Under the VOCA program, monies paid as penalties by those convicted of federal crimes goes into an account called the Crime Victims Fund. Congress passes this money to the states, which allocate the money to Children’s Advocacy Centers and other organizations that serve crime victims.  

“Since I founded the CAC in 1995, we have helped more than 9,500 children through the services we offer, and the numbers continue to grow,” Glasgow said. “Throughout its 25-year history, the CAC has continued to expand upon the services it has provided to serve the needs of vulnerable, innocent children who have suffered at the hands of soulless predators, whether those predators abuse children in the home or profit from children through vicious commercial human trafficking,” Glasgow said. 

The National Children’s Alliance, which awarded the two remaining grants, is the national association and accrediting body for Children’s Advocacy Centers. The $75,000 grant will help the CAC in its efforts to combat child pornography and child sex exploitation.

“The CAC’s commitment to ‘Cherish All Children’ extends to doing all we can to address the scourge of child trafficking, sexual exploitation and pornography. That’s why I established the Child Sexual Exploitation Coalition to develop a countywide response to child sexual exploitation,” Glasgow said.  “Child victims of trafficking are recruited, transported, transferred, or harbored for the express purpose of exploitation. Traffickers often exploit children’s vulnerabilities. They brutally take away these children’s innocence for their own commercial profit.”

This is the fourth consecutive year that the CAC has received the National Children’s Alliance grant to address child sexual exploitation and pornography. The grant also will help expand law enforcement’s accessibility to the Children’s Advocacy Center and its services, develop a public service campaign to raise awareness about child sexual exploitation, and fund a specially trained child sexual exploitation and advocacy coordinator to handle these types of cases.

Finally, the $25,000 mental health services grant will help expand the CAC’s trauma-focused mental health services to the eastern areas of Will County. This will help eliminate distance, wait time and financial barriers for families who receive mental health services. 

“The award of these highly competitive grants demonstrates the exceptional services provided by the Will County CAC,” Glasgow said. 

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