Illinois attorney general charges Quincy woman with sexual assault and manufacturing/disseminating child porn

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul has charged a Quincy woman with sexual assault and manufacturing and disseminating child pornography.

Blake S. Wakefield, 22, was charged in Adams County Circuit Court with three Class X felonies including one count of predatory criminal sexual assault, punishable by up to 60 years in prison; one count of manufacturing child pornography, punishable by up to 30 years in prison; and one count of disseminating child pornography, punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

Wakefield is the Adams County Jail and has a court appearance scheduled for Friday.

“I am committed to protecting Illinois children and families from those who exploit and abuse innocent children,” Raoul said. “My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will continue to collaborate with law enforcement at all levels and throughout the state to ensure individuals responsible for this abuse are held accountable.”

State investigators, along with officers from the Quincy Police Department, conducted a search of Wakefield’s residence in the 400 block of Valley View Road on Oct. 9.

Assistant Attorney General Jenifer Peck is prosecuting the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau in conjunction with the Adams County State’s Attorney’s office.

“Our office appreciates the ability to collaborate with the Illinois Attorney’s General office in the investigation of this case and looks forward to continuing to collaborate in the prosecution of this case as it proceeds through the court system,” said Adams County State’s Attorney Gary Farha.

Raoul’s office, with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force that investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies. The task force receives CyberTips, or online reports of child pornography, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the last several years, CyberTipline reports have steadily increased. In 2023, reports to the ICAC increased by 46% over 2022.

Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is one of 61 ICAC task forces throughout the country and is comprised of a network of more than 185 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has received more than 46,150 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 755 arrests of sexual predators. Since 2006, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has been involved in more than 2,145 arrests of sexual predators. The task force also has provided internet safety training and education to tens of thousands of parents, teachers, students and law enforcement professionals.