A Quincy woman who sexually assaulted a minor and then produced and shared child sexual abuse material has been sentenced to 55 years in prison, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Monday.
Blake Wakefield, 24, of Quincy was sentenced in Adams County Circuit Court after she pleaded guilty last month 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, according to Raoul's office.
Raoul's office said that in October 2024, its investigators, along with officers from the Quincy Police Department, searched Wakefield's residence in Quincy. She was taken into custody and charged after investigators discovered evidence of child sexual abuse material.
"This sentence should send the message that anyone who abuses a child and disseminates images of that abuse will be held accountable for their heinous and horrific crimes," Raoul said in a statement. "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 such abuse and exploitation are held accountable."
Raoul's office co-prosecuted the case with Adams County State's Attorney Todd Eyler's office. Senior Assistant Attorney General Nicole Bartell prosecuted the case for Raoul's office.
About the task force
Raoul's office, using a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies. According to the attorney general's office, the task force receives CyberTips — online reports of child sexual abuse material — from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In 2025, reports to the task force increased by 45% over 2024.
The attorney general's office said Illinois' task force is one of 61 ICAC task forces across the country and is made up of more than 200 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the task force has received more than 82,900 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 1,250 arrests. Since 2006, it has been involved in more than 2,600 arrests. In 2025, it was involved in rescuing more than 30 child victims from ongoing abuse, the office said.
How to report
Raoul's office said child sexual exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. Local child advocacy centers can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
All are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.