Intentionally causing someone emotional distress by phone or electronic harassment? Proposed law takes aim at that

Taunting. Ridicule. Bullying.

Do it with a phone, computer or gaming platform and you might face criminal charges if a proposal to change the state’s electronic and telephone harassment laws goes through.

Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser and former Naperville police detective Rich Wistocki, president of BeSure Consulting, teamed up to add “causing significant emotional distress” as a crime in Illinois Senate Bill 2741. State Sen. Linda Holmes, a Democrat from Aurora, agreed to sponsor the bill.

The bill would also eliminate the requirement that harassing content must be of a sexual nature.

Proposed bill on harassment

“Our intent is to capture harassment that causes emotional distress. Emails, social media, forums and gaming are being used, so our laws must reflect the changed landscape violators use to intensify their attacks,” Holmes said in a news release.

“This abhorrent behavior victimizes children, triggering fear for their own safety, or the safety of their family,” said Holmes. “Insults and slurs create lasting emotional harm and may lead vulnerable young victims to consider ending their own lives. The technology won’t go away, so the consequences for offenders must reflect the intensified harms their devices cause.”

Mosser related stories from local police about parents filing reports when their child is being harassed, but because the messages were not sexual, no charges could be brought.

“We should be able to prosecute when this person is intentionally inflicting harm,” Mosser said. For example, she added, sending a message to “go kill yourself” shows intent to cause emotional distress, she said.

The proposed changes also call for making it a crime to repeatedly send messages to people solely to harass them.

What about free speech?

Not everyone is on board. The free speech argument is a sticking point for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which opposes the bill.

“We oppose SB 2741 because, in our opinion, the bill would criminalize constitutionally protected speech,” said Benjamin G. Ruddell, director of criminal justice policy for the ACLU.

Ruddell said the government generally can’t criminalize speech unless it falls into a few narrow categories: obscenity, defamation, fraud, incitement, true threats and speech integral to criminal conduct.

“Speech that causes emotional distress, including speech that is meant to cause emotional distress, does not fall into any of those categories,” Ruddell said.

The bill passed the Senate April 15. Republican Rep. Jeff Keicher of Sycamore is its chief sponsor in the House, where it has been assigned to the Rules Committee.

Congratulations

A four-person team that investigated a high-profile child sexual abuse materials case has been named the 2025 Kane County Officer of the Year by the Kane County Chiefs of Police Association.

Batavia detective Bryce Renninger, investigator Kevin Reynolds, digital forensics director Zeus Flores and forensics technician Hannah Decker, all of the Kane County state’s attorney’s office, were honored for their work investigating Dr. David Hanson, a Batavia chiropractor.

Hanson was charged in November with secretly recording hundreds of adult and child patients in states of undress and sharing images of the children via messaging apps. He is facing 76 felony counts.

Renninger was also noted for his work on another case, that of Michael B. Erickson of Batavia, who was a student at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Erickson was charged with the production of child sexual abuse materials, as well as disseminating and possessing them.

Authorities say he used artificial intelligence to create fake nude images of former classmates. The case is being prosecuted in DeKalb County.

A break on traffic fines

Got overdue fines on traffic tickets? Late fees adding up?

If the case is out of Cook County, next week is your chance to pay off fines minus any added late or collection fees.

Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Mariyana Spyropoulos will hold an Amnesty Week from Monday through Friday next week, giving drivers an opportunity to resolve eligible moving traffic violations without the extra costs.

“For many residents, collection fees can turn an already difficult financial situation into an even heavier burden,” Spyropoulos said in an announcement of the event. “This initiative gives people a meaningful opportunity to address eligible court debt, avoid additional penalties and move forward.”

Alas, parking tickets and red-light violations are not included.

The clerk’s office will accept full or partial payments by cash, check, money order or credit card at the Daley Center in Chicago or any of the five suburban courthouses during regular business hours. Payments may also be made by calling (312) 603-5030.

• Do you have a tip or a comment? Email us at copsandcrime@dailyherald.com.