Cyberpedophiles and Child Molesters: A Heterogeneous Group of Criminal Career Types

• In Event: Emerging Issues in Cybercrime

Abstract

Even if the rapid development of technology had provided significant benefits for society, these advantages are outshined by the increase in the number of opportunities for online sexual offenders to engage in exploitation of children and in online sexual interactions with children (online sexual solicitation or grooming). Internet presents an affordable, accessible, and mostly anonymous platform allowing easy opportunities for obtaining, selling, and sharing child pornography. The technological environment provides an area in which admitted and potential sex offenders can access to validate their deviant behaviour (Armagh et al., 2000; Quayle & Taylor, 2002).
Using a sample of 1596 individuals who committed at least one online sexual related offence (child pornography and online solicitation of minors), we performed latent class analyses to identify career types' subgroups. The individuals in the sample vary in terms of career length, the accumulation of different types of crime, and the time of the online committed crime in relation to the commission of other crimes. Therefore, we present a criminal careers typology of Internet child sexual abusers constructed in terms of their career length (persistent vs. limited) and versatility (specialized vs. versatile). Practical implications will be discussed in light of the existing literature.

Authors

• Andreanne Bergeron, Université de Montréal

• Francis Fortin, Université de Montréal