Bill Pushed in 2016 by Hastert Victim Eliminating Limitations for Child Sex Abuse Crimes Set to Become Law

By Tyler Bachman
WSPY News
May 19, 2017

http://www.wspynews.com/news/local/bill-pushed-in-by-hastert-victim-eliminating-limitations-for-child/article_222c56f4-3c9b-11e7-b09d-f7ea881f63df.html


A bill that will eliminate statutes of limitations for child sex crimes and one that highlights former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert's child sex scandal is on its way to Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner's desk for a signature.

That measure passed in the Illinois House on Thursday and the Gov. has indicated his intention to sign the bill - ultimately doing away with any and all limitation against a felony Criminal Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse crime against a child.

Current law states that serious sexual offenses against children must be reported and prosecuted within 20 years of the survivor turning 18. Two exceptions to the law are listed, one, in which physical evidence proved the abuse, and the second in which a mandated reporter didn’t report the abuse.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Scott Cross testified in 2016 about Hastert's sexual abuse and their support of the bill that passed, Thursday.

Cross, the brother of former House Republican Leader Tom Cross, was one of the boys Hastert sexually abused while he was a Yorkville High School wrestling coach in the late 1960's and early 1970's.

Hastert was sentenced in April of 2016 to 15 months in prison at a federal penitentiary in Rochester, Minnesota for evading currency requirements in payouts to a victim.

He admitted during that hearing to sexually abusing several boys where he was labeled by Judge Thomas Durkin in U.S. District Court in Chicago as a "serial child molester."