Mchenry County Jail Inmate Search & Roster 2026

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McHenry County, Illinois · Hourly jail roster guide

McHenry County Inmate Lookup: Current Roster, Recent Releases, Court Dates and Jail Help

McHenry County does not use a simple permanent name directory. The Sheriff’s Office generates official inmate reports by name and by confinement date, refreshes the lists hourly, and even keeps recently released local inmates visible for three days.

This guide explains what the roster actually covers, why a person can disappear from it, how to read JCA and court information, what Illinois’ cashless pretrial rules mean, and exactly how visitation, phone calls, mail, photos, books, commissary and custody notifications work at the Woodstock jail.

Search official roster by name Call Jail Main Office Person not listed?
Accuracy and presumption-of-innocence warning: McHenry County itself cautions that jail information cannot be guaranteed as current, accurate or complete. Charges are allegations, not proof of guilt. Verify identity using the JCA number, date of birth, booking information and court case number rather than relying on a name alone.
Roster refresh

The Sheriff’s Office says inmate lists update every hour.

Roster coverage

Current local adult inmates plus releases from the last 3 days.

Jail Main Office

815-338-9396

Jail visitation

815-334-4745

Facility

2200 N. Seminary Ave., Woodstock, IL 60098.

Read this before searching

Who appears in the McHenry County inmate roster—and who does not?

Understanding the coverage rules prevents many failed searches. The public report is not a list of every person physically connected with the correctional facility.

What the Sheriff’s public inmate report includes and excludes
Person or status Appears publicly? What this means for your search
Current adult inmate with local McHenry County charges Yes This is the main population covered by the public roster.
Released during previous 3 days Yes A person can remain visible briefly even though they are no longer confined.
Juvenile No The public inmate report excludes people deemed juveniles by the system.
Federal detainee No A federal detainee can physically be in the facility without appearing in this public local-charge report.
Weekender Not while temporarily out The individual should reappear after returning to the facility.
Temporarily out of the facility Not during temporary absence Court movement or another temporary status may make the person disappear until return.
Important local shortcut: If you believe someone is physically housed at McHenry County Jail on federal charges but the person does not appear in the public roster, the Sheriff’s own report directs users to call 815-338-9396 and speak with a correctional officer.

Choose what you need to do

Jump directly to the problem you are trying to solve.

McHenry County inmate roster field decoder

The McHenry report is unusually useful because it combines jail and basic court information. Here is how to read it without confusing one field for another.

What each McHenry County roster field tells you
Roster field Meaning What to do with it
JCA # A jail/corrections identifier associated with the individual. Save it for identity verification and jail questions.
Date of Birth / Age Identity details used to separate people with similar names. Match them before sending money or contacting the jail about a specific person.
Date Confined When the current confinement period began. Compare it with the known arrest date.
CURRENTLY CONFINED The report presently considers the person confined. Still call before traveling because the report is not guaranteed to reflect a just-completed transfer or release.
Charges The criminal allegations or case entries attached to the record. Do not treat them as convictions. Check the court case for later filings or disposition.
Class The offense classification shown for that charge. Use it only as a reference; sentencing and release questions belong with the court or attorney.
Case # McHenry County court case identifier. Copy it into the Circuit Clerk Public Access Portal.
Next Court Date The next court event currently recorded for that particular case line. Recheck the court portal before traveling because settings can change.
Court Room The courtroom associated with the listed proceeding. Use it with the Judicial Center directory on the hearing date.
Status Can show entries such as waiting, dismissed, sentenced, sent to prison, call for status or other case-specific information. Read each charge separately; different lines in one case can have different statuses.
Release Date May appear when a sentence or release date is recorded. Do not assume a future date cannot change because other cases, holds or court orders may matter.
Bond / No Bond At This Time A bond-related field that can reflect modern or legacy case information. Read the Illinois cashless-pretrial section below before attempting payment.
Hold for another agency Another law-enforcement or correctional authority may have an interest in the person’s custody. Ask which agency controls the hold before making release plans.
One inmate can have many lines: Do not assume “dismissed” on one charge means the entire case or custody situation is over. Read every listed charge, case number and status.
No match troubleshooting

Person not showing in McHenry County Jail? Check these possibilities in order

Arrest happened very recently Booking and public reporting may not yet be complete. Refresh the hourly roster and call the Jail Main Office.
Name spelling may be different Search only the surname, then try a hyphenated name, maiden name, suffix or alternate spelling.
The person is under 18 Juveniles are excluded from the public McHenry County adult inmate report.
The person has federal charges Federal detainees are excluded even if physically housed at the correctional facility. Call 815-338-9396.
The person is a weekender A weekender temporarily out of the jail does not appear until returning to the facility.
The person is temporarily out A temporary absence can remove the inmate from the report until return.
The person was released recently Check carefully because the report continues displaying releases for approximately three days.
More than three days have passed since release The name may have aged out of the jail report. Use the court case search or request appropriate records instead.
The person was transferred A sentenced person may move to Illinois Department of Corrections or another agency and stop appearing as a current county inmate.
The arrest occurred outside McHenry County Search the county or agency that actually received the person into custody rather than assuming the McHenry County Jail has them.
Useful phone script “I am trying to verify whether [full legal name], date of birth [date], is currently housed in the McHenry County Correctional Facility. I believe the arrest or transfer occurred on [date]. The person is not appearing in the public roster. Can you confirm whether they are in local, federal or transferred custody?”

Current inmate versus recently released: do not misread the McHenry roster

McHenry County keeps people released within the previous three days in the same public report used for current inmates. That makes the roster more helpful for families—but it also creates a common mistake.

Currently confined

Look for the explicit confinement language and compare it with the date confined.

Recently released

A name may remain visible for roughly three days even though the person has already left county custody.

Transferred

The person may leave McHenry custody for IDOC, federal custody or another agency without being “released home.”

Pickup rule: Never arrange transportation solely because a charge line says dismissed or because a release date appears. Confirm the overall custody status with the jail first.
Illinois cashless pretrial system

McHenry County “bond” information after Illinois eliminated cash bail

This is one of the most important differences between an old jail guide and a useful 2026 guide. Illinois eliminated cash bail on September 18, 2023. For modern criminal cases, the court now determines whether a defendant is released, released with conditions, or detained pending trial under the Pretrial Fairness Act framework.

Released pretrial

A judge may permit release subject to court-ordered conditions.

Detained pretrial

For qualifying cases, prosecutors may seek detention and the judge decides whether statutory detention requirements are met.

Electronic monitoring

When ordered, McHenry County describes GPS/electronic monitoring and home-confinement conditions administered through the applicable pretrial system.

Why does the jail report still contain a bond field?

Jail records can contain legacy case information. A person with an older case may still have a historical dollar bond entry. Other records may show “No Bond At This Time.” Do not assume either phrase tells you what can be paid today.

Do not pay based on a PDF line alone: First identify the exact case number and check the current court order. A legacy dollar amount, another hold or an older warrant may require a different procedure than a new post-2023 criminal case.

What happens after a new arrest?

The person is booked Identity, charges and custody information are processed by the jail and court system.
The court addresses pretrial release The defendant may be released under applicable law or appear for an initial hearing addressing release or detention.
The State may seek detention in qualifying cases McHenry County’s 2026 criminal cases show judges considering State petitions to deny pretrial release.
The judge enters the controlling order That court order—not an outdated article or commercial bail page—controls whether the person remains detained or is released with conditions.
McHenry County SAFE-T Act context: The county maintains a SAFE-T Act data dashboard, and the Circuit Clerk Public Access Portal includes SAFE-T Act statistics. Illinois courts began the cashless pretrial system on September 18, 2023.

Use the inmate’s case number to find court date, warrant and case information

The roster often already gives you the best court-search key: the case number. The McHenry County Circuit Clerk Public Access Portal then handles the court-side questions.

Copy every case number from the inmate report One person can have multiple active, dismissed or older cases.
Open the Circuit Clerk Public Access Portal This is the official live action for court records.
Search by case number when possible It is more precise than relying on a common name.
Check the next court date Compare the portal with the jail PDF because a scheduled court date may change after the hourly jail report was produced.
Use the portal’s additional tools McHenry County lists Case Info Search, Zoom Check-In, Court Date Reminders, “How Much Do I Owe?”, “Do I Have A Warrant?”, payment tools, copy requests and SAFE-T Act statistics.
Search McHenry County court cases
Circuit Clerk

Phone: 815-334-4190

Address: 2200 N. Seminary Ave., Woodstock, IL 60098

Location: Judicial Center, Civil & Criminal/Traffic — 1st Floor, Room 136.

Probation & Court Services

Phone: 815-334-4400

Room: 240

Regular hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Initial Appearance holiday detail: McHenry County’s 2026 Court Services schedule notes that Initial Appearance Court still occurs at 8:00 a.m. on certain court-closed Monday holidays. Do not assume a holiday means no initial appearance.
Correctional facility

McHenry County Jail address, entrance, phone numbers and facility facts

McHenry County Correctional Facility
2200 North Seminary Avenue
Woodstock, IL 60098

Correctional entrance: North/West Entrance off Ware Road.

Jail contact numbers

Jail Main Office: 815-338-9396

Jail Visitation: 815-334-4745

Sheriff main number: 815-338-2144

What type of jail is this?

The McHenry County Adult Correctional Facility houses defendants awaiting trial and people sentenced to serve county-jail sentences. The Sheriff’s Office states that a person sentenced to more than 364 days is taken to the Illinois Department of Corrections to serve the sentence.

Rated capacity

Up to 650 inmates.

Modern facility

Current adult correctional facility opened in 1992 and was expanded later.

County sentence

County facility can hold sentenced inmates for up to 364 days.

Longer sentence

More than 364 days generally moves to Illinois Department of Corrections.

Accreditation

Sheriff lists ACA and NCCHC accreditation.

Local arrival tip: The Government Center, Judicial Center and Correctional Facility share the broader 2200 N. Seminary complex. For jail business, use the correctional facility’s North/West entrance off Ware Road rather than assuming the main government entrance is the correct door.
On-site and remote video visitation

McHenry County Jail visitation hours, scheduling and visitor rules

McHenry County offers both on-site and off-site video visitation. Visits must be scheduled in advance by the visitor and are subject to kiosk availability, jail schedules and facility needs.

Published McHenry County video visitation windows
Day Visit window Applies to
Sunday–Saturday 9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m. On-site and off-site video visits.
Sunday–Saturday 12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m. On-site and off-site video visits.
Sunday–Saturday 3:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. On-site and off-site video visits.
Sunday–Saturday 6:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m. On-site and off-site video visits.

Before scheduling

Create the visitor account before the intended visit
Schedule the visit in advance
Confirm that the inmate is still housed in McHenry County
Be ready to log in to the visitation kiosk at the scheduled time
Use appropriate and socially accepted clothing
Have age and photo identification available when required

On-site visitor rules

  • On-site video visitation is restricted to two visitors per visit.
  • An on-site visitor must be at least 17 years old or be accompanied by an adult with valid picture identification.
  • The jail may require proof of age.
  • Children age 16 or younger must remain under the direct supervision of the adult visitor.
  • Children may not disturb other people who are visiting.
  • Visitors must wear appropriate, socially accepted attire.

Why a scheduled visit may be interrupted or cancelled

Meal periods

The jail does not conduct visits during meal hours.

Lockdowns

Maintenance, operational needs or security lockdowns can stop visitation.

Emergency or weather

Severe weather, disturbances and emergencies can cancel scheduled visits.

Monitoring rule: All visits are recorded and may be monitored. Disruptive conduct by either party during a visit or video messaging can terminate the session and may affect future visits.
Fees and refunds: Both on-site and off-site video visitation are available on a fee basis. The jail does not issue visit refunds. Refund problems must be handled with the video-visitation company.
Schedule through ICSolutions ICSolutions help: 1-888-506-8407 Jail visitation: 815-334-4745
Inmate telephone

How McHenry County Jail inmate phone calls work

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office uses ICSolutions for inmate telephone services.

Confirm the correct inmate first Save the full name and jail identifier before funding any communication account.
Create the outside ICSolutions account Family or friends can set up prepaid phone services online.
Use the 24-hour support line if needed ICSolutions lists telephone account help at 1-888-506-8407.
Keep phone funds separate from commissary assumptions Telephone service is handled through ICSolutions while commissary deposits are handled through the methods described later on this page.
Create or fund phone account
Letters and photos

McHenry County Jail inmate mail address and rejection rules

Use this address format
Inmate’s Full Name, Jail ID# ________
McHenry County Jail
2200 N. Seminary Avenue
Woodstock, IL 60098
No hand-delivered inmate mail: Mail must come into the facility through the U.S. Postal Service. It cannot be dropped off at the jail for an inmate.

Required information

Inmate’s full name
Inmate’s Jail ID number
Sender’s full name
Complete return address

Mail without the sender’s name and return address is considered unauthorized. The Sheriff’s Office says it will be placed in the inmate’s property and not returned to the inmate until release.

Normal mail handling time

Incoming mail

Excluding weekends, holidays and pressing circumstances, incoming mail is delivered to inmates no later than 24 hours after receipt from the Post Office.

Outgoing mail

Excluding weekends, holidays and exigent circumstances, outgoing mail is forwarded to the Post Office no later than 24 hours after the jail receives it from the inmate.

Weekend/holiday rule: The Sheriff’s Office states there is no incoming or outgoing inmate mail on weekends or holidays.

Letters and cards: items that cause rejection

No ornamentation

No musical material, plastics, wood, metal, cloth, ribbon or cord.

No foreign substances

No adhesives, paints, colored pencils, crayons or other foreign substances.

No altered paper

No altered or discolored paper and no runny ink.

No scented/decorative material

No glitter, perfume or lipstick.

No stationery supplies

Do not include blank paper, stamps or envelopes.

No inmate-to-inmate routing

Correspondence from other inmates is prohibited, including using an outside third party to route the mail back into the jail.

Photo rules

McHenry County inmate photograph rules
Photo issue Rule
Number per envelope No more than 10 photographs printed on photo paper.
Size No larger than 4×6 inches unless the image is printed on a standard sheet of paper.
Polaroids Not allowed.
Alcohol/drugs Images depicting alcohol or drugs are not allowed.
Gang or weapons content No gang-affiliation or weapon imagery, whether the weapon is real or fake.
Sexual content No nudity or sexual content.
Whole-envelope consequence: When unauthorized items are received, the Sheriff’s Office says the entire letter and contents are returned to the sender.
Books, magazines and periodicals

Do not order a book until the McHenry County Jail Mail Officer approves it

McHenry County requires advance approval for books, magazines and periodicals. This is a major local rule that can save families the cost and frustration of a rejected shipment.

Get the title approved first Submit the jail’s Book, Magazine and Periodical Pre-Approval Form before ordering the item.
Provide inmate and purchaser information The form requests the inmate’s name, ID number, purchaser name, email and phone.
List the exact title and author The approval request asks for the title and author for each book.
Order from the publisher after approval Incoming publications must come directly from the publisher.
Choose the correct format Hardcovers are prohibited, as are staples or other fasteners.
Understand that approval is not absolute The jail can reject an item based on its content even when it was previously approved.

Minimum publication restrictions

Must come directly from the publisher
No hardcover books
No staples or fasteners
No alcohol or drug content
No gang-affiliation content
No weapon imagery, including toy weapons
No nudity
No sexual content
What happens to an approved book? McHenry County stamps received books “McHenry County Jail.” The book is treated as a donation. After the inmate has had an opportunity to read it, the book is donated to the Corrections Library rather than stored in the inmate’s property.

If an unauthorized publication arrives

  • Return shipping is the purchaser’s responsibility.
  • Return shipping labels can be sent to MCJBooks@mchenrycountyil.gov.
  • Unauthorized publications may be picked up at the Correctional Facility Monday–Friday from 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
  • If the item is not returned to the publisher or picked up within 60 days, the jail says it will be destroyed.
Submit publication pre-approval
Commissary funds

Three ways to send commissary money to a McHenry County inmate

Official McHenry County commissary deposit methods
Method How it works What to prepare
Access Corrections online McHenry County lists this as the recommended remote method. Correct recipient information before submitting funds.
Access Corrections by phone Call 866-345-1884 and follow the deposit prompts. Inmate/recipient information and payment method.
Jail lobby kiosk Use the kiosk in the jail’s front lobby. Cash or credit card and correct inmate information.
Money order Make it payable to McHenry County Jail. Put the inmate’s name and commissary account number in the memo field.
Money-order timing: The Sheriff’s Office warns that the money-order process can take up to one week. Use the electronic or lobby option when timing is important.
Before sending money: Verify that the person is still confined, copy the inmate information accurately and never rely solely on a message from someone claiming to be an inmate or jail employee.
Deposit through Access Corrections Deposit by phone: 866-345-1884
Custody alerts

Use Illinois VINE for McHenry County release, transfer and escape notifications

Families often repeatedly refresh the jail roster because they are waiting for a release. Victims and other concerned people can instead use Illinois VINE for available custody notifications.

Custody check

VINE can provide information concerning whether a person is held and the facility location.

Status notifications

Users may register for available alerts involving release, transfer or escape.

Court-related information

McHenry County also describes VINE notifications for available court-related custody events.

Illinois Statewide VINE

Phone: 866-566-8439

Available 24 hours a day for supported custody information and notification registration.

How phone alerts work: McHenry County explains that a user can register telephone numbers and a four-digit PIN. When a qualifying event triggers a notification, VINE calls registered numbers for a designated period or until the PIN is entered.
Register for VINE alerts

Public defender, State’s Attorney and pretrial-service contacts

McHenry County Public Defender

Phone: 815-334-4170

Best for: questions concerning appointed defense representation and an existing assigned public defender.

State’s Attorney’s Office

Phone: 815-334-4159

Best for: prosecution-side and victim-service questions, not personal defense advice.

Probation & Court Services

Phone: 815-334-4400

Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Illinois pretrial supervision

McHenry County states that adult pretrial cases are supervised through the Illinois Office of Statewide Pretrial Services.

Do not ask jail staff for legal strategy: Jail personnel can help with custody and facility procedures but cannot replace the defendant’s attorney or explain what defense decision should be made.

Need an older booking record instead of current custody information?

The hourly roster is designed primarily for current local adult inmates and recent three-day releases. It is not an unlimited historical arrest archive.

For current custody

Use the Sheriff’s hourly inmate roster.

For a criminal court case

Use the Circuit Clerk Public Access Portal with the case number.

For older booking records

The Sheriff’s Records Division maintains booking records for inmates brought to the McHenry County Correctional Facility.

Records Division

Phone: 815-334-4770

Use the right system: A current roster, a historical booking record and a court case are three different records. Searching the wrong system is one of the biggest reasons users think information is “missing.”

What happens when an inmate leaves McHenry County for state or federal custody?

McHenry County Jail is a county correctional facility. It is not the final destination for every sentenced or federally held person.

Sentence is 364 days or less The Sheriff’s Office says sentenced inmates can be detained in the county facility for up to 364 days.
Sentence exceeds 364 days The Sheriff’s Office says the person is taken to the Illinois Department of Corrections to serve the sentence.
Federal detainee The person may be physically held in McHenry County but excluded from the public local-charge roster.
Another-agency hold Release on a McHenry case does not necessarily mean the person walks out if another agency has a valid hold.
Transfer question to ask “The McHenry County roster no longer shows [name/JCA number]. Was the person released locally or transferred to another agency? If transferred, can you tell me which agency now has custody?”

McHenry County local tips that prevent wasted trips and rejected transactions

Refresh before calling

The roster updates hourly. Refresh it first so you are not asking about a stale PDF.

Use JCA + date of birth

Those two details are far safer than relying only on a common first and last name.

Check the 3-day release rule

A name on the roster does not automatically mean the person is still in jail.

Federal inmate? Call

Do not keep refreshing the public report; federal detainees are intentionally excluded.

Visit in a published window

There are four visitation windows every day, but visits still require pre-scheduling.

Do not expect a jail refund

Video visitation refund issues go to ICSolutions, not the correctional facility.

Books need approval first

Never order a hardcover or publication until the Mail Officer has approved the title.

Money order is slow

The Sheriff’s Office says commissary money orders can take up to one week.

Use the Ware Road entrance

County directions identify the North/West correctional entrance off Ware Road.

McHenry County jail action directory

Who to contact for each inmate-related problem
Your problem Correct office/service Phone or final action
Cannot find an inmate Jail Main Office 815-338-9396
Visitation question Jail Visitation 815-334-4745
Video visit/phone account issue ICSolutions 1-888-506-8407
Commissary deposit Access Corrections 866-345-1884
Current court date/case Circuit Clerk 815-334-4190
Older booking record Sheriff Records Division 815-334-4770
Public defender question Public Defender 815-334-4170
Pretrial/court supervision Probation & Court Services 815-334-4400
Victim custody notification Illinois VINE 866-566-8439
General Sheriff’s Office question McHenry County Sheriff 815-338-2144

Final actions that require the official system

The important rules, schedules, addresses and troubleshooting steps are already explained above. Leave this page only when you need to perform one of these live actions.

A–Z
Search current roster

Open the Sheriff’s live by-name PDF.

Search by name
DATE
Search by confinement date

Use when you know the approximate booking date.

Search by date
§
Open court case

Use the inmate’s case number in Circuit Clerk Public Access.

Search court case
☎
Set up phone/video

ICSolutions handles the jail’s phone and video service.

Open ICSolutions
$
Send commissary funds

Access Corrections is the Sheriff’s recommended electronic method.

Open Access Corrections
V
Register custody alerts

Use VINE for available release, transfer and escape notifications.

Open VINE
Source review: This guide was checked against current McHenry County Sheriff’s Office corrections information, the Sheriff’s official inmate-report structure, McHenry County Correctional Facility information, McHenry County Circuit Clerk/Court Services information and Illinois Courts pretrial guidance on August 14, 2026. Live custody and court status should always be rechecked immediately before taking action.

McHenry County Jail inmate search FAQs

How do I search for someone in McHenry County Jail?

Use the Sheriff’s official inmate report by name or by date. The reports update hourly. Search the surname, then confirm the date of birth, JCA number and confinement status.

Does the roster show people who have already been released?

Yes. McHenry County says the report includes inmates released within the previous three days, so a listed name does not automatically mean the person is still confined.

Why is a federal detainee not showing?

The public report specifically excludes federal detainees. Call the Jail Main Office at 815-338-9396 when you believe a federal detainee is physically housed in McHenry County.

Why did a weekender disappear from the roster?

Weekenders and people temporarily out of the facility do not appear while they are out. The Sheriff’s Office says they reappear after returning.

What does JCA mean on the inmate report?

It is an identifying number shown by McHenry County’s corrections report. Save it with the person’s date of birth and case number when contacting the jail or checking records.

What are McHenry County Jail visitation hours?

On-site and off-site video visits are offered every day from 9:00–10:30 a.m., 12:00–1:30 p.m., 3:00–3:30 p.m., and 6:00–9:30 p.m., subject to facility schedules and cancellations.

How do I send money to an inmate?

Use Access Corrections online or by phone at 866-345-1884, use the front-lobby jail kiosk with cash or credit card, or send a money order payable to McHenry County Jail with the inmate name and commissary account number in the memo field.

How do I send a letter to an inmate?

Address it to the inmate’s full name and Jail ID number, McHenry County Jail, 2200 N. Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098. Include the sender’s name and complete return address.

Can I send photographs?

Yes, but no more than 10 photo-paper photographs per envelope. Standard photos may not exceed 4×6 inches. Polaroids, nudity, sexual content, gang material, weapons, alcohol and drug imagery are prohibited.

Can I send an Amazon or publisher book directly?

Do not order it first. The title must be pre-approved by the Jail Mail Officer. Approved publications must come directly from the publisher and meet the jail’s format and content requirements.

Can I pay cash bail for a new 2026 McHenry County case?

Illinois eliminated cash bail in the modern pretrial system beginning September 18, 2023. New release and detention decisions are handled by the court under current pretrial law. Older cases can still display legacy bond data, so confirm the exact court order.

How can I receive notification when an inmate is released?

Illinois VINE supports available custody notifications. McHenry County lists the statewide VINE telephone number as 866-566-8439.

Independent public-information guide: This website is not the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, McHenry County government, the 22nd Judicial Circuit, a law firm, ICSolutions, Access Corrections or VINE. Jail and court records can change as booking, hearings, release and transfers occur. A charge is an allegation and does not establish guilt. Do not use custody information to harass, threaten, discriminate against, exploit or unlawfully identify any person.

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