NCJ Number
224420
Date Published
2008
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Informed by Tony Krone’s (2005) typology of Internet sex offenders, this chapter explores online criminal methods of sexual abuse of children as well as the legislative and institutional measures being developed to prevent it.
Abstract
Krone’s typology of Internet sex offenders identifies nine intersecting and overlapping categories of online sexually abusive behavior. Case studies drawn from the research of this chapter’s authors are used to illustrate and reinforce some of Krone’s typological categories. The chapter advises that sex offenders use the Internet to access pornographic images of children, to select victims for offline abuse through online “grooming” techniques, and for communication with other like-minded sex offenders. Despite efforts by law enforcement agencies, government, the information technology industry, and organizations such as the Virtual Global Task Force and the Internet Watch Foundation to control online sexual predators, these efforts are largely failing. There is evidence that the number of children that are groomed, manipulated, and eventually sexually victimized daily online is increasing. Also, the number of indecent images of children on the Internet continues to increase, involving a greater degree of violence and increasingly younger children. This chapter concludes that the education of children, parents, and practitioners should be central to a sustained attempt to increase children’s protection while they are online. Measures to protect children include school-based programs intended to educate children, parents, and teachers about the dangers posed by sex offenders who prowl the Internet. Such programs are now routinely delivered to secondary school children in countries such as the United States, New Zealand, and Canada as part of the school curriculum. 1 table, 2 notes and 50 references