The National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction

* * * “Sheldon and Howitt (2007) argue that there are three primary reasons to be concernedabout online child pornography: offenders who view and trade child pornography create ademand, ‘deviant sexual fantasies based on Internet images may feel a need to sexuallyabuse other children,’ and child pornography is sometimes created during the groomingprocess by both solicitors and youth victims (which may or may not be initiated online).Similar to how child pornography viewers were widely varied in their motivations, ‘therewas no typical scenario for [child pornography] production’ (Wolak et al. 2005: 44). TheN-JOV study found that 21% of Internet-initiated sex crimes involved the victim beingphotographed in a ‘suggestive or sexual pose,’ 9% of offenders sent the victim adultpornography, and 10% of offenders sent the victim child pornography (Wolak et al.2004). Additionally, some offenders may send pornographic images of themselves (suchas genitals) to potential victims, or request them from potential victims. Youth victims ofInternet solicitations said that the offender requested a sexual picture from them or sentthem a sexual photograph (such as of their genitals) 15% of the time (Wolak et al. 2006).One in five online child molesters took ‘sexually suggestive or explicit photographs ofvictims or convinced victims to take such photographs of themselves or friends’ (Wolaket al. 2008b: 120). Compared with the collection habits of child pornography collectors,requests for minors to self-produce pornography more directly affects online youth.Despite low rates of compliance among youth, this is a serious issue for both contact andchild pornography offenses, as, ‘[even] if only a small percentage cooperate, consideringsuch requests flattering, glamorous, adventuresome, or testament of their love anddevotion, this could be a major contribution to the production of illegal material’(Mitchell et al. 2007b: 201).” pp. 37-38.C-5