Online Child Sexual Abuse by Female

• In Event: Understanding Female Sexual Offenders

Abstract

As they only represent a small proportion of sexual offenders (Cortoni, Babshichin, & Rat, 2016; Finkelhor, Mitchell & Wollak, 2000), it is not surprising that studies of female online sexual offenders are virtually non-existent (Elliott & Ashfield, 2011; Lambert & O’Halloran, 2008). The aims of the present study are to develop an understanding of women who engage in online sexual offending, to understand their criminal trajectories and to compare them to female sexual offenders. To do so, we analyzed police records of women involved in at least one offence relating to child pornography (CP) or child luring in Québec (Canada) between 1991 and 2014. For all subjects of the study (N=62), we extracted demographic data and criminal history information. Results show that if women commit various online sexual offences, many are also part of a more general delinquency, their criminal records reporting assaults and other offences. In terms of their offence related to the internet, only six women had at least one attested victims, in which only one had two victims. The findings will be discussed within the context of male online sexual offending and female general sexual offending behavior.

Authors

• Marion Desfachelles, Université de Montréal

• Francis Fortin, Université de Montréal