Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a law on August 2, 2013, that allows prosecutors to introduce a defendant's past similar convictions as evidence in child abduction cases. For most crimes, past convictions were not admissible during a trial. Supporters say it will allow jurors to consider whether the defendant has a propensity to target children. The law was spurred by a Chicago Tribune investigation that found child predators were rarely caught or received light sentences after repeated convictions.
