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LINCOLN, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois Attorney General’s Office found the Logan County Sheriff’s Office violated the rights of a teenage sexual assault victim during its response to the family’s report, according to a final state report reviewed by WAND News.
Lonnie and Robin Nichols said they received a call in October 2025 telling them their 15-year-old daughter was at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office with several other teens and needed to be picked up.
When they arrived, the teen told them she had been sexually assaulted, the Nichols said. Deputies directed the family to a hospital for a sexual assault forensic examination.
“She was already traumatized, and then they came in, and it was like nothing warm about it,” Robin Nichols said. “No ‘how are you? I’m sorry.’ It was question, question, question.”
Later that week, the teen took part in a forensic interview with two detectives and an advocate from the Sangamon County Child Advocacy Center, the family said. The Nichols said they expected the interview to provide an opportunity for their daughter to explain what happened and to learn more about the investigation.
Instead, they said detectives challenged the teen’s account and blamed her for what happened.
“As the questions progressed, two of the detectives actually called my daughter a liar, and basically said that it was her fault,” Lonnie Nichols said.
The family said the questioning became so intense that the advocate ended the interview and removed their daughter from the room. Robin Nichols said the advocate later told the family that the interview should not have been handled that way.
After the interview, the family hired an attorney and asked the sheriff’s office not to contact them directly. They also filed a complaint with the sheriff’s office. The Nichols said the internal review found no wrongdoing.
The family then contacted elected officials and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.
Attorney General’s findings
The Illinois Attorney General’s Office investigated the family’s complaint under expanded authority created by a 2025 amendment to state law, officials said.
In its final report, the attorney general’s office found the Logan County Sheriff’s Office:
- Denied the teen’s constitutional right to be treated with fairness and respect.
- Failed to provide the police report within five business days of the family’s request.
- Did not meet its obligation to provide a written statement and explanation of crime-victim rights.
Christelle Perez, chief of the Violence Prevention Division at the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, told WAND News that victims or their family members can file a complaint when they believe their rights have been violated.
“If those rights are violated, a victim or their family member can file that complaint with us,” Perez said. “We will investigate and then make a recommendation to those agencies that may have violated.”
The attorney general’s office recommended that the sheriff’s office complete crime-victim rights training, review state laws and policies governing sexual assault investigations, ensure officers receive required trauma-informed response training and establish internal controls to ensure staff follow those protocols.
“The reason why we do this is for change,” Perez said. “Everyone doesn’t have the information. Everyone is not self-aware at all times. And even with good intentions, things don’t always go as they should.”
Perez said the goal is to prevent further trauma for victims and rebuild trust in the justice system.
Sheriff’s office challenges findings
WAND News contacted Logan County Sheriff Mark Landers for an interview. He declined to speak on camera but said his office takes sexual assault reports seriously and treats victims with respect.
The sheriff’s office formally asked the attorney general’s office to reconsider its findings. The attorney general’s office upheld its original conclusion that the family’s rights were violated.
“You just feel like no one is actually on your side, and it’s a struggle and it’s exhausting to still not have an answer,” Robin Nichols said.
Lonnie Nichols said he hopes the state findings lead to better treatment for other victims.
“If we can make that happen for another victim to where they’re not treated unfairly, then it will be worth it,” he said. “Even though you know justice isn’t served for our daughter, it might be for another victim.”