Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced on April 8 that a Madison County judge found registered sex offender Louis Arnold to be a Sexually Violent Person. The Attorney General’s office prosecuted the case.
This decision means Arnold, age 49, will remain in the custody of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). He had been held at an IDHS Treatment and Detention Facility while awaiting trial. Judge Amy Maher issued the order after reviewing evidence from Raoul’s office.
“The history of this offender clearly shows that his release into the community would pose a dangerous threat to the safety of women,” Raoul said. “I am committed to protecting Illinois families and communities from offenders who have been deemed sexually violent by the court.”
According to information provided by Raoul’s office, Arnold was convicted in Madison County in 2005 for criminal sexual assault after luring and raping a woman while threatening her with a knife. He received an eight-year prison sentence. During treatment, Arnold admitted to assaulting about 25 other victims, including at least one as young as twelve years old.
Under Illinois law, specifically the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act, cases like these allow authorities to seek continued commitment for offenders convicted of sexually violent crimes who are also diagnosed with certain mental disorders and considered likely to reoffend if released. Offenders committed under this act are regularly reevaluated for their risk status.
The Illinois Attorney General has advocated for vulnerable groups such as workers, immigrants and seniors according to its official website. The office handles thousands of consumer complaints each year according to its official website, works toward protecting consumers and promoting safer communities according to its official website, extends advocacy efforts across Illinois according to its official website, partners with law enforcement agencies on behalf of crime victims according to its official website, and offers services such as complaint filing related to consumer fraud or civil rights issues according to its official website.
Deputy Bureau Chiefs Megan Lintker and William Bryant handled this case for Raoul’s Sexually Violent Persons Bureau.
