ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL ANNOUNCES ADAMS COUNTY WOMAN’S GUILTY PLEA TO CHARGES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT; MANUFACTURING, DISSEMINATING, CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL
Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Quincy, Illinois woman who sexually assaulted a minor then manufactured and disseminated child sexual abuse material has pled guilty. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online.
Blake Wakefield, 24, pleaded guilty in Adams County Circuit Court to one count of predatory criminal sexual assault, one count of manufacturing child sexual abuse material and one count of dissemination of child sexual abuse material, all Class X felonies. Wakefield’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 19.
“This guilty plea is the next step in holding this predator accountable for the heinous crimes she committed,” Raoul said. “Survivors and their families deserve to find justice as they heal from the unfortunate trauma from child exploitation. 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.”
In October 2024, Raoul’s investigators, along with officers from the Quincy Police Department, conducted a search of Wakefield’s residence in Quincy. She was taken into custody and charged after investigators discovered evidence of child sexual abuse material.
Raoul’s office co-prosecuted this case with Adams County State’s Attorney Todd Eyler’s office.
“The Adams County States Attorney’s office is committed to prosecuting individuals who commit acts of child sexual abuse,” said Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Keck. “We are thankful for our continuing ability to work with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office to ensure those individuals are held accountable for their actions.”
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 sexual abuse material, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the last several years, CyberTipline reports have steadily increased. In 2025, reports to the ICAC Task Force increased by 45% over 2024.
Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is one of 61 ICAC task forces throughout the country and is comprised of a network of more than 200 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has received more than 82,900 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 1,250 arrests of sexual predators. Since 2006, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has been involved in more than 2,600 arrests of sexual predators. In 2025, the task force was involved in rescuing more than 30 child victims from ongoing abuse. The task force also has provided internet safety training and education to more than a million parents, teachers, students and more than 25,000 law enforcement professionals.
Attorney General Raoul is reminding the public that child sexual exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. In addition, local child advocacy centers can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Nicole Bartell prosecuted the case for Raoul’s office.
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