Sites launched to combat child sexual exploitation on the Internet

This chapter argues that the ideology of cyberlibertarianism, combined with organisational social processes and the impact of power, have contributed to tech corporations acting in ways that facilitate child sexual exploitation (CSE; both directly and indirectly). Relatedly, cyberlibertarianism has contributed to online spaces and processes being understood and approached as freer from social and moral concerns than others. Thus, the chapter specifically explores how the evolution, design, and control of the Internet and digital technology have been conducive to CSE. Four key (interrelated) online routes to increased CSE are highlighted involving online sex offending psychology, the online porn industry, online ‘escort’ agencies, and the interaction of social media and gaming platforms with adolescent developmental proclivities. Practice and policy implications of this ‘big picture’ perspective of online contributors to CSE are then explored.

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Web-Based Health Services in Forensic Psychiatry: A Review of the Use of the Internet in the Treatment of Child Sexual Abusers and Child Sexual Exploitation Material Offenders

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00763 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Tamara S. N. Wild ◽

Peter Fromberger ◽

Kirsten Jordan ◽

Isabel Müller ◽

Jürgen L. Müller

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Forensic Psychiatry ◽

Sexual Exploitation ◽

The Internet ◽

Web Based ◽

Child Sexual Exploitation ◽

Child Sexual Abusers ◽

Use Of The Internet

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A Billion Distorted Thoughts: An Exploratory Study of Criminogenic Cognitions Among Men Who Sexually Exploit Children Over the Internet

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology ◽

10.1177/0306624x19873082 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 64 (10-11) ◽

pp. 1114-1133 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sarah Paquette ◽

Nicholas Longpré ◽

Franca Cortoni

Keyword(s):

Exploratory Study ◽

Sexual Offending ◽

Sexual Exploitation ◽

The Internet ◽

Sexual Offense ◽

Sexual Offenses ◽

Child Sexual Exploitation ◽

Criminal Charges ◽

Criminal Behaviors

There is evidence that endorsing a higher level of offense-supportive cognitions is associated with contact sexual offending. Such an association assumes the construct of cognitions as unidimensional, thus ignoring the possibility that specific subtypes of cognitions exist and that certain may be criminogenic. To investigate this possibility, this study aimed at examining the associations between criminal behaviors and cognitive themes found in the discourse of men who engage in sexual offenses against children over the Internet. Through the discourse of a sample of 60 men with online child sexual exploitation material and solicitation offenses, a previous study identified eight cognitive themes: Uncontrollability, Nature of harm, Child as sexual being, Child as partner, Dangerous world, Entitlement, Virtual is not real, and Internet is uncontrollable. These themes were not investigated for their criminogenic nature. Thus, in this study, bivariate analyses were used to determine whether these cognitive themes were linked to three indicators of criminal behaviors: the extent of criminal charges, the diversity of offending behaviors, and the nature of contact with victims. Results suggest that, taken as a whole, online sexual offense–supportive cognitions may not be criminogenic. Moreover, only cognitive themes related to antisocial orientation and atypical sexuality were found linked with criminal behaviors, although associations found remain limited. Findings and associated implications are further discussed for research and clinical purposes.

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The Deep Web and Children Cyber Exploitation

Combating the Exploitation of Children in Cyberspace ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-2360-5.ch002 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 19-41

Author(s):

Sachil Kumar

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Sexual Exploitation ◽

Deep Web ◽

The Internet ◽

Web Pages ◽

Child Sexual Exploitation ◽

Different Types

The deep web has been announced by some as the last bastion of internet anonymity in an increasingly oppressive period, although others find it one of the worst sites on the internet. There are number of instances that have confirmed the misuse of deep web for conducting criminal and illegal practices in a secret way. This chapter provides a description of deep web and the different plugins used to navigate deep web pages. A summary of the different types of online child sexual exploitation that take place across the deep web is explored, as well as the complexities of investigation and response being discussed so that readers can become conscious of this form of sexual abuse.

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Assessing the Validity of Automated Webcrawlers as Data Collection Tools to Investigate Online Child Sexual Exploitation

Sexual Abuse ◽

10.1177/1079063215616818 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 29 (7) ◽

pp. 685-708 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Bryce Westlake ◽

Martin Bouchard ◽

Richard Frank

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Sexual Exploitation ◽

The Internet ◽

Automated Data Collection ◽

Child Sexual Exploitation

The distribution of child sexual exploitation (CE) material has been aided by the growth of the Internet. The graphic nature and prevalence of the material has made researching and combating difficult. Although used to study online CE distribution, automated data collection tools (e.g., webcrawlers) have yet to be shown effective at targeting only relevant data. Using CE-related image and keyword criteria, we compare networks starting from CE websites to those from similar non-CE sexuality websites and dissimilar sports websites. Our results provide evidence that (a) webcrawlers have the potential to provide valid CE data, if the appropriate criterion is selected; (b) CE distribution is still heavily image-based suggesting images as an effective criterion; (c) CE-seeded networks are more hub-based and differ from non-CE-seeded networks on several website characteristics. Recommendations for improvements to reliable criteria selection are discussed.

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Profiling Darkweb Child Sexual Exploitation Material Forum Members Using Longitudinal Posting History Data

Social Science Computer Review ◽

10.1177/0894439321994894 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 089443932199489

Author(s):

Madeleine van der Bruggen ◽

Arjan Blokland

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

English Language ◽

Sexual Exploitation ◽

Communication Patterns ◽

Developmental Pathways ◽

Activity Levels ◽

History Data ◽

Trajectory Modeling ◽

Child Sexual Exploitation ◽

Observation Period

Darkweb fora dedicated to the illegal exchange of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) continue to thrive. Profiling forum members based on their communication patterns will increase our insights in the dynamics of online CSEM and may aid law enforcement to identify those members who are most influential and pose the highest risk. The current study uses data from a large English language Darkweb CSEM forum that was active between 2010 and 2014, containing over 400,000 posts. Posts were time stamped, categorized based on subforum topic, and linked to individual forum members by nickname. Group-based trajectory modeling was subsequently applied to derive forum member profiles based on members’ posting history. Analyses show that over the course of the observation period, overall activity levels—in terms of total number of posting members and the average number of posts per month per member—fluctuate substantially and that multiple developmental pathways—in terms of monthly patterns in the frequency of posts by individual members—can be distinguished. Theoretical and practical ramifications of these findings are discussed.

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