The National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction

pedophile's goal is to obtain a child's trust through an escalation of attention intended to result inthe seduction of a child into sexual acts through a face-to-face meeting. The predator can claimto be of the same sex as an intended victim in order to gain the potential victim's trust. Similarly,by pretending to be in the same age group, an unsuspecting child will consider the pedophile apeer. As conversations develop, a pedophile informs the child that he shares similar interests andcommon experiences. This paper summarizes four cases in which such a model of seduction wasused on the Internet. Under the direct sexual model, a pedophile uses Internet communications intaking a relatively short time to introduce the subject of sex with a potential victim. There maybe a trade of images of child or adult pornography. Pedophiles use Internet bulletin boards totrade child pornography or to obtain lists of children who have had a prior association withpedophiles. As in the trust-based model, the ultimate goal is usually to arrange a meeting inperson. Two cases of this type of use of the Internet are presented. If parents observe disturbingchanges in their child's behavior, they may seek the assistance of a child psychologist orpsychiatrist.: A mental health professional who is sufficiently informed about the Internetexploitation of children may detect victimization from subtle clues. Also, an awareness of thephenomenon of "cyberstalking" and pedophilia on the Internet can facilitate a thoroughevaluation of a pedophile in a forensic setting. Further, government intervention can help preventchild sexual exploitation through the Internet. The Federal Trade Commission is currentlyseeking legislation that requires Internet companies to get parental consent before permittingchildren under the age of 13 to enter Internet sites that solicit addresses, phone numbers, andpersonal information. In addition, the FBI is involved in training State and local law enforcementofficials in how to establish cyber police units to patrol the Internet. The National Center forMissing & Exploited Children has established a "cyber-tipline" for the public to use in reportingany suspicious or illicit activity that involves children on the Internet. 12 references.Child Pornography And The Internet: Perpetuating A Cycle Of Abuse.Quayle, Ethel; Taylor, Max.Deviant Behavior, Jul2002, Vol. 23 Issue 4, p331-361, 31p.Abstract: Thirteen men convicted of downloading child pornography were interviewed with aview to understanding how these men talked about the photographs and the function such talkplayed in their accounts. The interviews were informed by earlier work with defended subjectsand were analyzed within a discursive framework. Quotations are used from the interviews toillustrate the analysis. Six principal discourses emerged within these accounts in relation to childpornography: sexual arousal; as collectibles; facilitating social relationships; as a way ofavoiding real life; as therapy; and in relation to the Internet. These are discussed in the context ofprevious research. The analysis illustrates the important role that the Internet plays in increasingsexual arousal to child pornography and highlights individual differences in whether this servesas a substitute or as a blueprint for contact offenses. It also draws our attention to the importantrole that community plays in the Internet and how collecting facilitates the objectification ofchildren and increases the likelihood that in the quest for new images children continue to besexually abused. Discourses focusing on both therapy and addiction serve to distance therespondent from personal agency and allow for continued engagement with child pornography.F-42