Riverton Register

04/27/2026

10/08/2024

Are your smoke detectors located correctly?

07/08/2024

BREAKING-

Riverton High School has announced they will not play varsity football in the fall of 2024.

05/31/2024

🚨 SCAM ALERT 🚨

Dear Sangamon County residents, we have become aware of another recent phone scam affecting our community. A resident reported losing $9,800 due to this scam. The scammer has been reported to be calling from the following numbers: 217-753-6886, 217-279-6010, and 217-952-4402. Please be advised that these numbers are linked to fraudulent activity.

The scam involves a caller identifying as Sgt. Smith from Sangamon County law enforcement. The caller misleads the victim into believing they've missed a court date as a juror or witness for a federal case and threatens charges for failure to appear and contempt of court. The "remedy" offered is either a 72-hour detention or a fine totaling $10,000, payable via Bitcoin.

Please be aware that this is a SCAM. Our office would like to emphasize the jury selection process is conducted through mail and online via eJuror for federal cases and iJuror for local cases. You can find all relevant information as well as contact details in case you've been contacted about fines or have any questions about the jury selection process at https://ijuror.co.sangamon.il.us/main.asp?id=index and https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/jury-information.

Protect yourself and your loved ones:
1. Be Skeptical: Law enforcement agencies will never call to demand payment over the phone, especially not in Bitcoin.
2. Don't Share Personal Information: Never disclose personal or financial information over the phone, especially if the identity of the caller cannot be verified.
3. Hang Up: If you receive such a call, hang up immediately and report the incident to your local law enforcement agency.
4. Block Suspicious Numbers: If you repeatedly receive calls from the same suspicious numbers, consider blocking them.

Stay vigilant and help us spread the word by sharing this post.

05/21/2024

Troop 6 is experiencing low to zero visibility in locations across Sangamon, Morgan, and Logan counties due to dust blowing across the roadways. Currently, a particular area of concern is Route 54 between Chestnut and Mt. Pulaski, in addition to Interstate 55 milepost 115 near Elkhart both in Logan County. Please take precautions and drive safely.

04/12/2024

Friends, we need to make you aware of a phone scam making the rounds again. The "Can you hear me?" scam has been targeting consumers for quite a few years. Sadly, it appears to be back.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

It's likely the scammers are trying to get you to say "yes" or record your voice, which can then be used or edited to make it seem like you authorized something that you didn't, according to a scam alert from the BBB.

Usually, the caller will hang up immediately after you respond to the question "Can you hear me?," the alert said. However, some consumers report that the calls can also be about banking, vacation packages, warranties and Medicare cards, the BBB said. The callers may be impersonating a business like your bank or another financial institution, a government agency, or an insurance company, the agency said.

“We encourage people to report this and other scams to BBB’s Scam Tracker," BBB spokeswoman Melanie McGovern told USA TODAY. "It helps to warn others that this activity is happening again. If you get a call, simply hang up without saying anything."

HOW IT WORKS:

You get a call from someone who quickly asks, “Can you hear me?” They want you to answer “Yes,” which you'd likely do instinctively, the BBB said.

The call might even be awkward or the person on the other line may say they're having trouble with their headset or that they'll call you back, "but in fact, the 'person' may be a robocall recording your conversation, and that 'Yes' answer you gave could later be edited to make it sound like you authorized a major purchase," the BBB said in its alert.

That yes could also confirm the scammer got a real working number, which could mean further targeting for scams, the BBB said.. The FCC in February issued a ruling making AI-generated voices in robocalls illegal.Still other variations of the scam, the BBB, said, may include asking "Is this (fill in your name)" or another question, which would prompt a yes from you. ?The caller may not hang up right away either and may continue the conversation to attempt to steal your personal information or record more of your voice," the BBB said.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Here are some tips from the BBB:

- Use Caller ID to screen calls and consider not answering numbers you don't know). If it's urgent, they'll call you back, the BBB said. The BBB suggests reading the FCC’s article on how to stop unwanted robocalls and texts.

- Just hang up. Scammers will change their methods as the public catches on, the BBB said, so be on the lookout for other questions designed to get you to say "yes," the BBB said.

- Make a note of the number and report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker to alert others. The BBB said it shares Scam Tracker information with government and law enforcement agencies, so all information is helpful.

- Join the Do Not Call Registry (DoNotCall.gov) to limit telemarketing and sales calls. This might not cut down on scam calls, since they don't pay attention to the law, but it will cut down on your overall calls, the BBB said.

- Check your bank and credit card statements regularly for charges you didn't make. Also review your telephone and cell phone bills, the BBB said. Scammers could use your "yes" to authorize charges you didn't really okay, the BBB said. "This is called 'cramming,' and it’s illegal. If you’re worried, notify your bank and credit card company. They may be able to put an alert on your accounts for unauthorized transactions or freeze your credit cards temporarily," the BBB said.

Please help us spread the word on this. Sadly, we have taken reports of scams where seniors here in Chatham have been conned out of 10s of thousands of dollars. These are heartbreaking cases to take, and we do not want to see this happen to anyone else.

For more excellent information on this scam and more like it, check it out here: https://www.yahoo.com/news/finance/news/dont-yes-caller-asks-hear-092333383.html

04/07/2024

03/21/2024

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙚'𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙍𝙔𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚...𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙! 🙏

Child grooming is a direct precursor to child sexual abuse. Grooming occurs when a sexual predator develops a close, trusting relationship with the child – and even their parents – so that they can eventually engage in sexual activity with the child. The goal is to develop trust and an emotional bond so that both the parent’s and child’s inhibitions are lowered. That way, they can easily desensitize the child to various forms of sexual contact and sexual exploitation. Tragically, many child abuse cases begin this way. Understanding sexual grooming is crucial for protecting our children.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧?

Grooming can happen almost anywhere, but the following situations are most common:

- Online through social networking sites
- In person
- Schools
- The workplace
- Church
- Summer camps

Most of the time, sexual predators are not strangers. In fact, 93% of child sexual abuse victims knew their abuser according to the R**e, Abuse & In**st National Network (RAINN).

Ever since smartphones and computers have become an integral part of our lives, online child grooming has become incredibly common. In fact, online grooming is most common among victims between the ages of 13 and 17 (99% of grooming cases). Meanwhile, 48% of online grooming cases occur within the ages of 13 to 14. Most of these victims are young girls.

Children are very naive and naturally trusting in almost any situation. But this naivety and trust is even more dangerous in a virtual setting because the child may think they’re talking to someone else their age, when really, they’re talking to a middle-aged man. The predator may gain enough of the child’s trust to schedule an in-person meeting, which is usually when the sexual abuse occurs.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠?

Child groomers follow a specific formula in order to eventually engage in sexual contact with the child. Listed below are the main stages of the grooming process:

𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦: First, the predator will choose their victim by watching them for a period of weeks or months. A predator may choose a victim based on how easy it is to see them or talk to them, how naive they are, or how often their parents are around.
𝐆𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦: Then the predator will gain access to the victim through some kind of casual encounter. They will seem kind, warm, welcoming, and trustworthy so that the child (and/or their parents) will lower their guard around them.
𝐆𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭: Next, the predator will make it their top priority to gain the victim’s trust. Many times, this means gaining the trust of the child’s parents as well. They may do this by giving the child gifts, constantly praising the child, and spending lots of time with the child.
𝐈𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝: Once the predator develops a close relationship with the child, they will slowly begin to isolate them from their family and friends. Predators isolate children so that they will feel like this person is their best friend, and they can trust and go to them for anything.
𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭: Next, the predator will slowly introduce physical touch and sexual activities to the child. It may begin with hugging, tickling, wrestling, and even hand holding. Then the predator may show the child sexual material, such as p**n or sexual photos. Once the child is fairly desensitized to all these things, the predator may move on to sexual in*******se, molestation, and more.
𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥: By the last stage of grooming, the loving relationship that the child once felt with the predator is largely gone. That’s because the predator’s main goal is to keep control and power over the child for as long as possible. They may resort to lies, threats, and even violence to keep engaging in sexual activity with the child.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧

When most parents hear of child grooming, they immediately resort to shaming the parents for ever allowing the predator to become so close to the child to begin with. But what they don’t understand is that the predator starts off with very innocent tactics to target children. They may start with the common behaviors listed below, and then slowly move up to sexual exploitation.

- The predator will be on the lookout for a child of their preferred age and gender.
- The predator first takes a special interest in the child and/or their family.
- As they get to know the child and their family better, they will look for opportunities for alone time.
- The predator becomes increasingly involved in the child’s life. They may volunteer at school or church functions, they may offer to take the child to their sports games or music lessons, and they may even offer to tutor a school subject that they’re struggling in.
- The predator is also very friendly and involved with the family, but during family functions and activities, the predator will take special interest in emotionally bonding with the child.
- The predator may frequently buy the child toys and treats.
- Lastly, the predator will stay in contact with the whole family, but with the sole purpose of maintaining access and control over the child.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧?

Warning signs of child grooming are as follows:

- Walking in on a child while they’re changing clothes, using the bathroom, or showering, but framing it as an accident, especially to the parents.
- Asking a child to come to the bathroom with them.
- Offering to help a child bathe or change their clothes.
- Planning or engaging in activities that require very little clothing, such as swimming.
- Frequent “innocent” touch between the child and the predator, such as hugging, -
hand holding, tickling, putting a hand on their lower back while they walk by, etc.
- Playing, tickling, or wrestling with very little clothing on.
- Showing sexual images or p**n to the child.
- Telling sexual jokes to the child.
Teaching the child about sexual topics and framing it as pure education.
Taking pictures of the child in their bathing suit or when the child has very little clothing on in general.

If you suspect a child has been or is in the process of being groomed, please notify your local law enforcement agency immediately. If this is occurring in Chatham, please notify us immediately. We can be reached at (217)483-2453.