Characteristics and treatment of internet child pornography offenders

Accessing child sexual abuse material: Pathways to offending and online behaviour

BACKGROUND

Most research examining the consumption of online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has focused on offenders' demographic and psychological characteristics. While such research may assist in the development of therapeutic interventions with known offenders, it has little to offer the development of interventions for the vast majority of offenders who are never caught.

OBJECTIVE

To learn more about the offending strategies of CSAM offenders, in order to inform prevention efforts to deter, disrupt, and divert individuals from their pursuit of CSAM.

PARTICIPANTS & SETTING

Seventy-five male CSAM offenders, who were living in the community and were voluntarily participating in a treatment programme.

METHODS

Participants completed a detailed self-report questionnaire focussing on their pathways to offending and their online behaviour.

RESULTS

Most participants reported that they did not initially seek out CSAM but that they first encountered it inadvertently or became curious after viewing legal pornography. Their involvement in CSAM subsequently progressed over time and their offending generally became more serious. The most notable feature of participants' online behaviour was the relative lack of sophisticated technical expertise. Opportunity and other situational factors emerged as mediators of offending frequency. Offending patterns were affected by participants' psychological states (e.g., depression, anger, stress), offline relationships and commitments (e.g., arguments with spouse, loss of job), and online experiences (e.g., blocked sites, viruses, warning messages).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that many offenders are receptive to change and may be potentially diverted from their offending pathway.

Public perception of individuals who commit Child Sexual Abuse Material offences: Exploring the impact of demographic variables and cross-national differences

BACKGROUND

Lay perceptions of persons who download and distribute Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) is an underexplored subject. There is a need for understanding the factors that influence perceptions as the public perceptions have implications for endorsement of sex offender rehabilitation that in turn can influence the availability of treatment programs and stigma for help-seeking.

OBJECTIVE

To explore public perceptions of individuals that commit child sexual abuse offences, to compare the results to those obtained in a large US sample, and to explore associations between demographic variables, general perceptions and endorsement of imprisonment and treatment for individuals that commit CSAM offences.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

An online survey were distributed in Norway in February 2023. 618 individuals responded, 76 % were female, mean age 34.99 (SD = 14.23), the majority (>70 %) had higher education, and 44 % had children.

RESULTS

Consistent with prior research, the public perceptions overestimated the risk of future contact offences and recidivism. Women overestimated the percentage of risk of contact offences and pedophilic interest more than men. The overestimation was significantly less in this sample compared to the US sample (d = 0.39-0.96). Those working with online child abuse had perceptions of persons committing CSAM offences that were more aligned with empirical findings. Demographic variables were only marginally associated with endorsement for treatment and imprisonment, except for having children, which was associated with endorsement of imprisonment. Perceived risk of contact offences, pedophilic preference, and assumed childhood sexual victimization were associated with perceptions of individuals committing CSAM offences as different than those committing physical sexual abuse and both endorsement of treatment and imprisonment.

CONCLUSIONS

The perceptions of those who commit CSAM offences showed a stronger association with endorsement for treatment and imprisonment than demographic variables.

Factors Associated With Contact Sexual Offending Among a Non-Forensic Sample of Women With Sexual Interest in Children - Results From an Anonymous Online Survey

This study aimed at assessing the extent to which factors associated with male child sexual offending may also be applicable to women with a self-identified sexual interest in children. Participants (n = 42) took part in an anonymous online survey covering questions about general characteristics, general sexuality, sexual interest in children, and previously-perpetrated contact child sexual abuse. Group comparisons between women who reported committing contact child sexual abuse compared to those who had not were conducted in terms of sample characteristics. Furthermore, the two groups were compared regarding the factors of high sexual activity, use of child abuse material, indication of ICD-11 pedophilic disorder diagnosis, exclusivity of sexual interest in children, emotional congruence with children, and childhood maltreatment. Our results revealed that high sexual activity, indication of ICD-11 pedophilic disorder diagnosis, exclusivity of sexual interest in children, and emotional congruence with children were associated with previous contact child sexual abuse perpetration. We recommend further research on potential risk factors relating to child sexual abuse on the part of women.

Fantasy Sexual Material Use by People with Attractions to Children

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

With the Internet allowing consumers easy access to fantasy and fictional sexual materials (FSM), it is becoming increasingly important to understand the context of their use among specific populations. Of particular, social, clinical, and legal interest is FSM use by people who are attracted to children and whether this may have a risk-enhancing or protective impact on their likelihood of committing a contact or non-contact sexual offence.

RECENT FINDINGS

There is a lack of data currently available in relation to the use of FSM by those with sexual attractions to children. Evidence from allied areas appears to show no meaningful associations between FSM use and sexual aggression. We propose a novel research program and some initial research questions that provide a theoretical framework for more evidence-based inquiry on FSM use by people who experience attractions to children.

Effects of internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy on use of child sexual abuse material: A randomized placebo-controlled trial on the Darknet

INTRODUCTION

The use of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is an international public health and child protection challenge.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether Prevent It, a therapist-supported, internet-delivered, eight-week, cognitive behavioral therapy, reduces CSAM viewing among users.

METHODS

We conducted a global online single-blind (participants), parallel-group, superiority, randomized, psychological placebo-controlled trial with a one-month follow-up, 2019-2021 (ISRCTN76841676). We recruited anonymous participants, mainly from Darknet forums. Inclusion criteria: age 18+ years, past week CSAM use, and sufficient English language skills; exclusion criteria: severe psychiatric illness or non-serious intent to participate. The main outcome was change in self-reported, weekly viewing time from pre- to post-treatment, according to the Sexual Child Molestation Risk Assessment+.

RESULTS

A total of 160 participants (157 male, 2 non-binary, and 1 not reporting gender) from all world regions (age intervals [%]: 18-29 [49]; 30-39 [30]; 40-49 [15]; 50-59 [6]) were randomized (1:1) to Prevent It (N = 80) or Placebo (N = 80). Between-group, intention-to-treat analyses suggested a significantly larger decrease in viewing time in Prevent It participants vs. controls pre- to post-treatment (Prevent It: N = 76, Placebo: N = 78, estimate -0.25, 95 % CI, -0.46 to -0.04, p = .017, Cohen's d 0.18). Negative side effects from treatment were fewer in Prevent It compared to control participants and neither group reported severe adverse events.

CONCLUSION

We provide initial support for the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of Prevent It to reduce CSAM viewing among motivated users. Further research is needed to validate these findings.

Effects of Automated Messages on Internet Users Attempting to Access "Barely Legal" Pornography

With the increasing number of individuals accessing online child sexual exploitation material (CSEM), there is an urgent need for primary prevention strategies to supplement the traditional focus on arrest and prosecution. We examined whether online warning messages would dissuade individuals from visiting a honeypot website purporting to contain barely legal pornography. Participants (n = 419) seeking the site were randomly assigned to one of five conditions; they went straight to the landing page (control; n = 100) or encountered a warning message advising of the potential harm to viewers (n = 74), potential harm to victims (n = 65), ability of police to track IP addresses (n = 81), or possible illegality of such pornography (n = 99). We measured the attempted click-through to the site. Attrition rates for the warning message conditions were 38% to 52%, compared with 27% for the control group. The most effective messages were those that warned that IP addresses can be traced (odds ratio [OR] = 2.64) and that the pornography may be illegal (OR = 2.99). We argue that warning messages offer a valuable and cost-effective strategy that can be scaled up to help reduce the accessing of CSEM online.

Self Perceptions and Cognitions of Child Sexual Exploitation Material Offenders

Identifying the self-perceptions of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) consumers compared to a reference population of non-consumers is critical in establishing distorted cognitions that may not be elucidated when comparison is made with groups who have committed other offenses. This exploratory work utilizes a quantitative approach toward identifying how individuals previously convicted of child pornography offenses view CSEM and CSEM offending, using a group of non-offenders as a baseline. The target group was selected based on their inclusion in two sex offender registries for child pornography offenses (n = 78). A reference group of non-offenders (n = 254) was gender-matched from a subset of a prior study evaluating the public perceptions of CSEM. Both groups were adults located within the United States and were asked questions using an online survey about their general perceptions of CSEM, their endorsement of CSEM beliefs, and their opinions related to the legality of various forms of CSEM and associated laws and sentencing guidelines. The study found that CSEM consumers more accurately assessed risks associated with CSEM offending, but that they exhibited potential minimization-based cognitive distortions related to severity and victimization and more strongly endorsed child erotica and virtual child pornography being legal. Additionally, they endorsed treatment over prison, and were strongly opposed to sex offender registration for child pornography offenses. The results provide potential treatment targets, including behavioral areas that may be pathways to CSEM offending.

Women with Sexual Interest in Children - Results from an Online Survey Among a Non-Forensic Female Sample

Little research has examined adult women's sexual interest in children, particularly in non-forensic samples. We aimed to describe characteristics of women with sexual interest in children by recruiting 52 women (mean age: 33.2 years) who have a self-identified sexual interest in children under the age of 14 years into an anonymous online self-report study. Measures of interest referred to general characteristics (e.g., age, education level), general sexuality (e.g., sexual orientation, masturbation), and sexual interest in children (e.g., exclusivity, motivation to change). Results showed that women with sexual interest in children are similar to non-forensic samples of men with sexual interest in children in previous studies and rather differ from women from the general population regarding the investigated characteristics in this study. Our results clearly indicate that women with sexual interest in children need to be taken into account in future research and clinical practice. Treatment programs preventing sexual offenses against children or the consumption of abuse material need to explicitly address females as well.

Acceptance of Sexual Interest in Minors in Self-Referred Individuals Under Treatment - An Exploratory Pilot Study

Some therapists/scientists argue that “acceptance” of sexual interest in minors (SIM), i.e., the integration of the sexual preference into the individual self-concept, is a prerequisite for dealing with SIM in a responsible way. However, if one assumes that – even in some persons – SIM might change over time, “acceptance” could also run counter to therapeutic targets because the motivation to change as well as the specific self-efficacy for modifying SIM might be reduced. This exploratory pilot study analyzes the relationship between acceptance of SIM and (1) dynamic risk for contact sexual reoffending, (2) SIM and frequency of the use of child/adolescent (sexual abuse) imagery, (3) frequency of sexual desire/behavior toward children/adolescents, and (4) the change of the level of acceptance of SIM during the course of treatment. The majority of the participants (N = 79) was not exclusively interested in children (85%) and used child pornography but did not commit child sexual abuse (54%). Acceptance of SIM, frequency of the use of child/adolescent (sexual abuse) imagery and frequency of sexual desire/behavior toward children/adolescents are assessed via self-report questionnaires, dynamic risk for contact sexual reoffending is measured by STABLE-2007. Pretreatment data are analyzed via Spearman’s correlation (N = 79). Intragroup analysis compares acceptance of SIM from pre- and posttreatment (n = 35). There was no correlation between acceptance of SIM and dynamic risk for contact sexual reoffending. However, there was a medium, positive correlation between acceptance of SIM and the frequency of the use of legal imagery of children, a positive correlation between the item “My inclination is an integral part of my personality” and the frequency of the use of legal imagery of children, and a positive correlation between acceptance of SIM and the frequency of sexual activities with minors. Acceptance of SIM did not change during the course of treatment. The results suggest that “acceptance” of SIM has to be discussed in a differentiated way, i.e., as possibly being associated with positive and negative outcomes as well.

Online child pornography offender risk assessment using digital forensic artifacts: The need for a hybrid model

The prevalence of online child pornography is a major societal issue. The criminal justice system has struggled with assessing the risk of individuals involved in online sexual offenses against children, especially when it involves the possession of child pornography. Research suggests there are different categories of offenders involved in this type of behavior (e.g., Online Child Pornography Offenders, Dual Offenders, Contact Offenders), with each category having different motivations, contributing factors, and levels of risk to re-offend or escalate their criminal behavior to more serious offenses (i.e., collecting pictures to contact offending). Determining the risk that individuals involved in online sexual offenses against children pose to re-offend or escalate their criminal behavior has been problematic. Traditional sexual offender risk measures have lower predictive validity when dealing with online child pornography offenders. This article discusses the need for a formalized hybrid risk assessment model that combines the current online sex offenses against children risk measures with digital forensics artifact analysis. The evidence derived from digital forensics artifact analysis can supplement the predictive risk factors obtained from these risk assessment tools, thus increasing the reliability and validity of the risk assessment.

Characteristics and Behaviors of Anonymous Users of Dark Web Platforms Suspected of Child Sexual Offenses

International law enforcement have noted a rise in the use of the Dark Web to facilitate and commit sexual offenses against children, both prior to and since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study presented here therefore aimed to investigate the characteristics and behaviors of anonymous users of Dark Web platforms who were suspected of engaging in the sexual abuse of children. Naturally-occurring data on 53 anonymous suspects, who were active on the Dark Web and had come to police attention in the United Kingdom (UK), were sampled. Analysis of the data yielded 462 features that could be coded reliably. Analysis of these features provided novel insights into suspects’ characteristics, their motivations for using the Dark Web, the nature of the offending behavior they reported engaging in, their technical and security precautions, sexual interests, and the content of their interactions with one another. Findings are discussed in relation to theoretical and practical implications, as well as directions for future research.

Referral for group or individual treatment? Factors for consideration in the case of self-referred individuals with a sexual interest in minors

In Germany, several treatment programs offer psychotherapy for individuals with a sexual interest in minors (SIM) who are currently not in contact with the criminal justice system. The patients present anonymously in relation to the health insurance and judicial system. Group therapy plays an important role in these programs. However, to date there is poor empirical evidence on indication criteria for group vs. individual treatment for this specific group of individuals. This study examined individuals with SIM who voluntarily participated in a treatment program in Hamburg. We investigated via post-hoc analysis whether there were significant differences regarding readiness to participate in group therapy, dynamic risk factors, psychopathic characteristics, impulsivity and empathy between individuals indicated for group therapy (n = 26) and individuals referred for individual therapy (n = 47). Results show that individuals referred for individual therapy were significantly more impulsive than individuals referred for group therapy, but comparable in respect to readiness to participate in group therapy, dynamic risk, psychopathy, and empathy. These findings suggest that assignment to group vs. individual therapy is mainly based on other criteria than these characteristics. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

A narrative review of research on clinical responses to the problem of sexual offenses in the last decade

Research on the treatment and programs for people who have committed sexual offenses has greatly increased in the past decade. The aim of this review is to discuss research that has been published over that period (2010-2019) that is relevant for treatment providers. The articles included in this review were found through PsycINFO and PubMed (Medline) using the keywords "treatment or therapy" and "sex offen*". The inclusion criteria were publications that discuss treatment of persons who have committed sexual offenses (written in the English language only). Any articles that examined only special populations were excluded, such as those that examined persons who committed sexual offenses who were female, had intellectual disabilities, deafness, juveniles, etc., because these groups will likely have needs and responsivity factors that differ from the "average" natal-born male sex offender. Results showed that several meta-analyses indicate that treatment is effective in reducing sexual recidivism. The most frequently used treatment for sex offenders is cognitive behavioral therapy, which is often provided in conjunction with pharmacological treatment to reduce sexual impulsivity and/or sex drive. This review is limited to the specific key search terms. The findings of this review support the use of treatment and a community reintegration approach when treating persons who have committed sexual crimes to prevent sexual recidivism.