Internet Utilization by Sex Offenders

Sex Offenders and the Internet

The types of sexual habits occurring online range from very unusual behaviors to others that are plain illegal (Caroline & Klein, 2014). A considerable amount of literature on sexual abuse of minors occurring and getting promoted online is being developed although there is a scarcity of information concerning other internet sexual based interactions that touch on manufacturing, dissemination and online viewing of sexual materials (Carolina & Klein, 2014).

This paper focuses on exploration and analysis of different practices including rape videos, sadomasochism leading to body disfigurement, zoophilic and necrophilia with the aim being to reduce information gap. In addition, impacts of sexual behavior on clinical and forensic psychiatry as well as legal regulations and ethical considerations are discussed (Carolina & Klein, 2014).

Common cases on online Sex offenders

Cybercrimes are an enhancement of traditional crimes whose scale is enlarged by computer usage, networks and other ICT development. They are not typical cybercrimes because they can occur without ICT. Sexual offense against children is one of the most common cyber enabled crime (Dowling & McGuire, 2013). A common sexual online offense is child pornography, possession and distribution as well as youth soliciting for sexual purposes (Bachishin, Hanson & Seto, 2011). This category of online sexual offenses has two common scenarios.

The first being online grooming focuses on use of online technology to enhance online and offline sexual contact with minors. Offline grooming takes place in areas where children frequent most such as parks, shopping centers and schools. For online setups, these happen in chat rooms, social networking sites as well as gaming sites that allow sexual offenders to approach children (Dowling & McGuire, 2013). Some offenders aim at meeting minors in this manner to commit the offence although the internet limits sexual interactions to an online environment. This gives offenders an opportunity to fulfill their motivations without risking meeting the child in person (Dowling & McGuire, 2013). This is labeled by the child exploitation and online protection center (CEOPC) as online child sexual exploitation (OCSE). The intention is to recognize this form of abuse whose impacts remains online as opposed to offline (child exploitation and online protection center, 2013a). Offenders may pretend to be of a similar age or use threats and blackmail to lure the minor to comply with his or her demands (Dowling and MacGuire, 2013).

The second case is where children are exposed to indecent images of children (IIOC) generated and distributed by digital technologies. The challenge however rests in defining indecency. According to UK government IIOC refers to still and moving images as well as pseudo-photographs, depicting children as part of sexual exploitation and abuse scenarios (Dowling & MacGuire, 2013) and the effects of sexual activity grabs attention due to the unknown physical effects (Carolina & Klein, 2014). There is hardly any difference between offenders that groom, make, distribute, and download unlawful images, non-contact online abuse forms, such as encouraging young people to engage in cybersex or watching and exchanging these images of themselves through webcams. Law requires some internet sexual abusers to stick to the internet, which allows for twisting of children protection. CEOP identified the major threats for sexual exploitation and abuse (Dowling & MacGuire, 2014).

Other serious sexual offences are also facilitated online (Dowling & MacGuire, 2013). This is inclusive of human trafficking for sexual purposes using online tools, rape facilitation, prostitution or sex tourism, use of camera phones and webcams to create offensive images, virtual sex offences as well as triggering child offences by online incitement and conspiracy (Dowling & MacGuire, 2013).

Scope of sex offence over the internet

Internet users in North America alone includes over 270 million users all doing different things. Online services include social networking, educational programs, video streaming both live and recorded, instant and worldwide communications, classified ad posts, virtual gaming in addition to all other services. These activities may trigger online sexual activities (OSA). Cybersex (cybering, netsex or mudsex) refers to two people role-playing sexually and may or may not include masturbation.

It is also possible to carry sexual fantasy through texts, live webcam transmissions or avatar multiuser computer games and virtual words like the secondlife.6. Some of these games were designed intentionally for cybersex (Carolina & Klein, 2014). Online predatory behaviors though rare have been identified through research to be a case of some people preferring the online access mode. Additional studies indicate that relating offenders and social networking sites' targeting behavior is a more effective approach compared to locating specific online location where offences occur (Carolina & Klein, 2014). The focus in this approach teaches victims how to protect themselves and report suspicious websites. There exist web forums providing support and advice without necessarily encouraging criminal acts. A good example is where pedophile communities encourage sexual interactions with minors in both virtual and real setups (Carolina & Klein, 2014).

Distribution of pornographic materials has existed ever since the internet inception promoting its thriving. These materials have a wide range in terms of participants, practices and extent of graphic disclosure. Even though cybersex involves consenting adults, it sometimes raises a lot of questions (Carolina & Klein, 2014). Some of the illegal activities include paid sexual service procurement, sex trafficking and pornography involving minors. In this case a minor is any person under the age of 18 as defined in most states although others approve over 16 although attaining the legal age allows one to participate in sexual activities it is still illegal to showcase such activity (Carolina & Klein, 2014).

Sexual abuse occurring online involves children being groomed and incited to engage in sexual activity such as chats, sexual photo and video generation (Whittle, 2013). In some cases, they may be encouraged to meet offline. Such victims tend to struggle with added complexities (including associating the home with such abuse, images being distributed online as well as the situation turning out to be permanent) when dealing with the abuse hence the need to overcome the assumption that non-contact sex abuse victims are not affected as much as those suffering through contact sexual abuse. Some of the common abuse comes through solicitation that may result in contact abuse (Whittle, 2013)

Other illegal scenarios are depicted by pornographic images that are gathered around without the consent of participants through the use of peep cameras, brutal bonding and discipline submissiveness, dominance, masochism and sadism (Carolina & Klein, 2014). BDSM may be permitted for consenting adults but some websites show minors highly intoxicated, injured or hurt (Carolina & Klein, 2014). Real life events including gang rape, bestiality, rape and necrophilia (U.S. has no laws regarding necrophilia as well as having different laws varying depending on the state in question) need to be paid attention to. In addition, incest and autoerotic asphyxiation portray fatalities (Carolina & Klein, 2014).

Studies have compared different sexual internet offenders (SEMc online) as well as contact sex offenders (actual sexual offenders on minors and children). The focus on such studies is on key variables like self-report psychological variable assessments both sexual and official as well a self-reported history (Elliot, Beech & Norden, 2013). The general analysis indicate that online offenders can be distinguished from contact offenders due to their lower empathy deficits, less distorted attitudes and beliefs (cognitive distortions) concerning appropriateness of sexual contact between adults and children (Elliot, Beech & Norden, 2013).

Although many internet facilitated sexual offences exist (IF-CSEC) (Robert, 2012) very few are reported. AU.S. study indicates that in 2006 only 569 of 1051 cases came through IF-CSEC. Offenders were categorized in two main groups. The first group was that of offenders that used internet to purchase or sell children access for sexual purposes (child pornography production) while the second group used these online services to purchase and sell the child pornography images they possess and did not produce (Robert, 2012). Offenders trying to profit commercially have been arrested for sexual or non-sexual offences previously, violent history, child pornography production and collaboration with other offenders, women included (Robert, 2012).

Key participants in sexual offense over the internet

There is a need to differentiate between online sex offenders, users and victims of offenses. Below are some of the classifications of offenders:

Chat room sex offenders

This category of sexual offenders stands out from offline offenders. These have lower criminal cases than those who do the actual abuse. They can be subdivided into various contact driven subgroups (those that strive to meet the person) and fantasy driven subgroup (those who have no intention to meet offline). The interesting fact is that two thirds of these offenders initiate their first sexual conversation during the first chat.

Internet pedophiles

Child sex offenders found online are usually young, single, staying alone and childless. Another study has focused on antisocial behaviors and social effective activities. Social affective traits refer to emotional development elements that affects the social being or response to social environment (Carolina & Klein, 2014). This can also influence a person's social subculture and social interactions. The activities encompassed here involve those falling within the sphere of social participation and integration in line with personality development (Carolina & Klein, 2014). The characteristics here include emotional identification, communication and control, emotional worth and attachment, self-confidence, loneliness and social participation among others. Online child pornography offenders register lower antisocial variable indicators that include acting out, breaking social rules like hands on children molesters do. However, social effective characteristics remain the same in both groups (Carolina & Klein, 2014).

Distributors and Producers

There is a clear distinction between distributors and producers of child pornography. The national juvenile victimization study shows that in internet sexual exploitation of children there is a difference between offenders that look for profit from production, selling and distribution of materials and offenders who act as the product consumers (Carolina & Klein, 2014). Those that are not producers can be classified into looker / collectors and distributors. The majority of distribution occurs freely through peer-to-peer file sharing. Most producers are associated with previous arrests and affiliation to offenders, most of them being female. However, the distinction between producers and distributors is not an easy one to make (Carolina & Klein, 2014).

Female offenders

Research on female child pornography consumers is limited meaning that more research in this area is necessary. A recent study of female users of online child pornography by Siegfried Speller and Rogers, assessed through personality traits, concluded that female offenders are more likely to be nonwhite (Carolina & Klein, 2014). These offenders will also score less on neuroticism and high on moral decisions hedonism (where moral choice can be determined as either good or bad depending on the greatest pleasure). Female sex offenders may be persuaded by men to participate in online sexual crimes or grooming of children (Carolina & Klein, 2014).

Minors as perpetrators of sex offenses

Attitudes and allowances that display or trigger sexual violence among adolescents correlate with development of cybersex addiction in the general population. Cyber violencd among adolescents extends to the sexual arena heightening the probability of teenage gang rape that is filed and uploaded online (Carolina & Klein, 2014).

Characteristics of Victims

These are victims of indecent images. CEOP suggest that indecent images that are self-generated makes one of the most difficult risks for young people as indicated in the recent rising reports. Out of the 2,293 reported cases made to CEOP IN 2011/2012, 22% were related to SGII (Dowling & MacGuire, 2013). A third of these results were generated by children under the age of 15 and the remaining majority from teenagers. CEOP reports that most of these images were produced without any persuasion and were mainly produced for live one to one video chats on websites or through instant massaging apps (Dowling & MacGuire, 2013).

SGII has a place where those vulnerable as sex victims can be secured and taken care of mentally (Dowling & McGuire, 2013). Sexual offenders use threats to compel their victims to create pictorials of themselves. Additionally, they also threaten to leak those SGII to the victim's friends and family. It is because of this fact that CEOP has worked so hard in the past two years to uncover 184 such cases in the UK (Dowling and McGuire, 2013). Other instances where the offender enjoys the fun that comes as a result of forcing their victims to take videos with demeaning writings on their bodies (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, 2013). Out of the total 184 victims, 6 harmed themselves and tried to commit suicide and one actually succeeded in the suicidal act- an occurrence that raised a big concern (Dowling & McGuire, 2013).

It is therefore accurate to put in mind that each of the victims is affected differently and many of them show a considerable amount of strength when dealing with their issues (Whittle, 2013). A number of factors contribute to the outcome of the victim's experience whether or not they actually experience the problem (Whittle, 2013). The victim's behaviors and coping strategies usually remain normal at the time of the ill-treatment except when an immediate removal of the threat is done (e.g. avoid coping). Individuals who have been victims at one point in time stand a higher chance of experiencing psychological stress and trauma compared to one-time victims or those without experience. Such victims are also placed at a risk factor of being repeated victims all over again (Whittle, 2013).

Of all the sex offenses that happen online, adolescents are placed at more risk (Baharudin & Zakaria, 2012). The frequent use of the internet by young adults poses a whole new challenge for therapists. In this particular article, the following are examined; (a) basic ideas that point out to adolescent's sexual behavior in relation to the psychological characteristics of the internet, (b) the origin of internet sex addition of adolescents, and (c) how the online sexual addiction of adolescents can be prevented or treated (Baharudin & Zakaria, 2012). The impact of the internet on families and society and the role that the media takes in adolescent's lives is a conclusion that therapists cannot afford to brush off (Baharudin & Zakaria, 2012). The media influences adolescents to engage in sexual activities by disapproving parental and school advice hence leaving them in a dilemma (Baharudin & Zakaria, 2012). Addictive behavior for instance comes about when adolescents are exposed to explicit movies which result to adolescents seeking outlets to express for feelings. If this kind of exposure continues then addiction comes as a result (Baharudin & Zakaria, 2012).

Risky sexual behaviors may also come when the boundary between them and parents is widened (Baharudin & Zakaria, 2012). Among the many factors that contribute to addictive sexual behaviors include less monitoring and guidance from parents, excess trust, lack of family closeness, lack of warmth and support from members and dysfunctional behaviors from the adolescents' family (Baharudin & Zakaria, 2012).

Characteristics of Offenders

According to Dowling & McGuire, (2013), many researchers have been working to establish the profile of offenders who produce and distribute IIOC images. Out of the total number of 633 men sentenced for IIOC offences, 80% of them turned out to be guilty of making and taking such images. Moreover they were around 39 years old and either single or divorced at the interview time (Henry et al., 2010). Additional information also revealed that 93% made images and also consumed other images of the same kind, implying that viewers and generators are closely related (Dowling & McGuire, 2013).

In the year 2012, CEOP embarked on undertaking a research on offenders who were guilty of both possessing of IIOC images and having contact sex with a minor (Dowling & McGuire, 2013). A total of 97 case studies from 34 UK police forces made up the study sample. Results revealed that majority were unemployed white males between 19 and 45 years old. Part of the minority group who were employed either worked in schools as care givers or were manual laborers or worked in the manufacturing industries. More than half of them were married with children or just lived with a partner (Dowling & McGuire, 2013).

Forensic and clinical concerns

Research on this topic seems to develop a new aspect of complication. Most of the information used in line with sex offences is obtained via a trap. The involved parties include a secret agent pretending to be a child who tries to keep contact with an offender. The two either exchange sexually explicit material or agree to meet at a mutual place. The study relating to sexual offenses has proven a bit technical to clinicians when it comes to identifying behaviors causing problems and clinical decision-making. The client's online behaviors and actions should not be used as a basis of making judgmental clinical evaluations.