Internet-Facilitated Child Sexual Exploitation Crimes

Background

Internet crimes against are defined as those offenses that include an element of computer-facilitated sexual exploitation of minors (Alexy, Burgess, & Baker, 2005). First, the Internet is now the main mechanism for accessing and distributing child pornography. Second is the well-publicized problem of adults soliciting minors for sex. Third, the Internet is used to facilitate the commercial sexual exploitation of children (e.g., sex trafficking of juveniles, commercial distribution of child pornography). Fourth, the Internet serves as a social consolidation mechanism allowing adults with a sexual interest in children to network with each other. Additionally, the Internet plays a secondary role in the victimization of children by allowing offenders who have a pre-existing relationship with a minor (e.g., family members or acquaintances) to use this medium to facilitate contact offending.