Sex crimes: Stages of crime-commission and police investigation methodologies

Session Submission Type: Pre-arranged Panel

Abstract

Sex crimes represent a significant challenge to the criminal justice system and have far-reaching implications for victims, families, communities, and society as a whole. Despite the growing recognition of the devastating impact of sex crimes, research on this topic remains limited, particularly in terms of informing theory, investigations, and prevention. The panel members will present and discuss recent research on sex crimes from the perspectives of the crime-commission process (including pre-crime, crime, and post-crime), and the police investigation. Amelie Pedneault will present the first paper, which will focus on factors influencing the recovery of biological evidence in sexual assault cases and how this affects the adjudication of the offender. The second paper, by Eric Beauregard and Julien Chopin, will examine offender and crime characteristics that influence the lethal outcome of sexually motivated abductions. The third paper, presented by April Chai, will explore spatial-temporal factors that influence patterns of body disposal in sexual homicide cases. Finally, in the fourth paper, Kim Rossmo will discuss some of the specialized techniques used by law enforcement in the investigation of serial rape cases. The research presented in this panel will provide useful insights for academics and law enforcement professionals researching and working in this area.

Subtopic

• Topic 2: Types of Offending / Sex Crimes, Sex Work and Sex Trafficking

Chair

• Eric Beauregard, Simon Fraser University

Individual Presentations

• The evidence left behind: Perpetrators’ costs when leaving biological materials in sexual assault cases - Amelie Pedneault, Washington State University

• Taken: Interactions between offender and crime characteristics leading to a lethal outcome in cases of sexually-motivated abductions - Eric Beauregard, Simon Fraser University; Julien Chopin, Simon Fraser University, University of Montreal

• The art of body disposal: An environmental criminology analysis of sexual homicide - April Miin Miin Chai, Texas State University

• Geoprofiling serial rape - D. Kim Rossmo, Texas State University