Individuals seeking partners on dating websites will be better informed on safeguards while interacting with potential blind dates if a new measure introduced by State Senator Ira Silverstein is passed this year. Senate Bill 2545 passed through the Senate this week and will next be considered by the House.

The bill creates the Internet Dating Safety Act requiring internet dating sites offering services in Illinois to clearly state on their website that they do not perform criminal background checks on their members. 

“As the popularity of internet dating grows, it is important to require sites like Match.com or eHarmony to inform new members of the possible risks of meeting people through their site,” Silverstein said. “This measure is not an effort to require these sites to police their members, but to better inform members of precautions that will give them a successful experience.”

Dating sites are also required to inform members of safety tips when signing up for the service. Those tips will include advice on information to exclude when writing a profile like omitting his or her last name, phone number, address and employer. Other states such as New York, New Jersey, Texas and Connecticut have introduced similar measures showing that the concern of internet dating safety is shared across the country. 

“The intent of online dating sites is to provide an affordable option to meeting someone with similar interests, but the problem with the internet is that anyone can lie unchecked,” Silverstein continued. “There are services available that can be quite costly that guarantee criminal background checks. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford $3,000 to $6,000 membership fees. This measure will help to ensure members of the less-expensive internet dating sites are better informed about safety precautions.”

Springfield, IL –In 2011, the nation watched as a jury found Casey Anthony not guilty for the 2008 murder of her three-year old daughter, Caylee.  Many believed it an injustice that Casey was only convicted of providing false information to authorities, which is a misdemeanor in Florida. Shortly after the verdict, Casey was released from prison due to her time served. Across America, state legislatures are responding to a public outcry for tougher punishment for parents who knowingly fail to report their child is missing or provide false information to authorities. 

State Senator Ira Silverstein’s Senate Bill 2537 will toughen punishment in Illinois in the event of a similar case to Casey Anthony’s concealment of information of the death or injury to a child. The bill passed out of the Senate this week and will be considered by the House. 

“Casey Anthony was acquitted of the murder of her beautiful, young daughter Caylee because there was no proof of her guilt,” Silverstein said. “Illinois’ current laws pertaining to the concealment of the death of a child and tampering with evidence, in my opinion, are too soft, and those are the laws I look to strengthen.”

Like Florida, Illinois laws for concealing the death of a child only result in a misdemeanor charge with minimal, if any, prison time. “Caylee’s Law” would make it a Class 4 Felony if any parent or legal guardian of a child under the age of 13 knowingly fails to notify the law, tampers or withholds information, or purposely prolongs the investigation of a child in danger of bodily harm or death. The measure also creates the Class 4 felony offense of “failure to report death of a child” in children under the age of 17.  Class 4 felonies require one to three years in prison and up to a $25,000 fine. 

“Whether or not Casey Anthony really did commit the murder of Caylee, had she immediately reported Caylee’s disappearance and provided accurate and precise information to authorities, the murderer might have been brought to justice,” Silverstein continued. “At the very least, this measure will give individuals the incentive to work with authorities in a prompt manner to ensure justice is best served in the death or disappearance of a child.” 

So far, 15 states have introduced similar legislation entitled “Caylee’s Law,” but language differ in the age of qualifying children, and some state a time frame in which parents have to report a missing child of 24 to 48 hours.

Senator Ira Silverstein moved three pieces of legislation forward in the Illinois Senate this week.  A recent Tribune article detailed a case of a fleeing felon whose family helped him escape justice and leave the country. The article featured Muaz Haffar, who was charged with killing Tombol Malik, a 23-year old student, in 2005. Haffar’s father bought him an airline ticket to Syria and one of his brothers accompanied him on part of his trip. Haffar is believed to be at large in Syria, from which his extradition would be necessary to pursue justice.

Senator Silverstein initiated two pieces of legislation related to this case. Senate Bill 2520 would close a so-called family exemption for relatives who help a felon flee. This bill would make it a Class 4 felony for immediate family members to aid a fugitive, with a fine of up to $25,000 and a one to three year prison sentence. Senate Bill 2531 would allow a judge to confiscate the criminal’s passport or impose travel restrictions on them if they are out on bail.

Another piece of legislation reflects a recent national news story. Senate Bill 2537 would toughen punishment in concealing the death or injury of a child, one of several such laws under consideration across the US in response to the Caylee Anthony case in Florida. In Illinois, SB 2537 would provide that failure to report the death of a child would be a Class 4 felony. The details address the victim’s age, time frame in which to report a disappearance, and the likely knowledge by someone who knows or should know a child is missing and/or dead.

Illinois’ existing laws for concealing the death of a child only result in a misdemeanor charge with minimal, if any, prison time.  So far, 15 states have introduced similar legislation entitled “Caylee’s Law,” but language differ in the age of qualifying children, time frame in which an incident is reported, and penalties and fines.