SPRINGFIELD – A measure spearheaded by State Senator Karina Villa, addressing sexual misconduct by law enforcement officers with suspects during an investigation passed the Senate on Monday.

“State law must be up-to-date to prevent further exploitation of survivors of human trafficking and individuals involved in the sex trade industry, especially when interacting with law enforcement and the justice system,” said Villa (D-West Chicago).  “It is imperative we do everything we can to support these individuals and ensure they are treated with dignity and respect.”

House Bill 4410 would require law enforcement agencies to create and adopt polices prohibiting officers from engaging in sexual conduct with a suspect while investigating prostitution and require the Illinois State Police, local law enforcement and circuit court clerks to automatically seal all prior arrest and court records related to felony prostitution charges.

The measure would also change references to sex work related offenses throughout state law to update terminology to acknowledge the exploitation of minors. 

While it is illegal for officers to engage in sexual misconduct with a suspect, law enforcement agencies developing and enacting specific polices against sexual misconduct and sexual violence allows for proper disciplinary action.

“When investigating prostitution, often times the people persecuted for these crimes are those engaging in sexual conduct rather than those who are exploiting these individuals,” said Villa. “With this, our system will instead support survivors of human trafficking and individuals involved in the sex trade industry by enacting standards for appropriate accountability to prevent further harm.” 

House Bill 4410 passed the Senate on Monday and now heads to the governor for further consideration.