Skip to main content

Internet Sexual Offender Laws

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Sexual Violence
  • 1110 Accesses

Abstract

While Internet sexual offenses represent only about ten percent of all sex offenses in the U.S., arrests and prosecutions for Internet sex offenders, both child pornography and solicitation offenses, are increasing and may continue to grow as technological advances increase the speed and anonymity of trading illegal pornography online. Internet sexual offenses are also a major concern in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, where legislation similar to that enacted in the U.S. has been passed in order to prosecute Internet sex offenders and to deter future Internet sex offenses. This chapter will review the history of Internet sex offense legislation in the United States and globally, as well as the controversies and dilemmas related to the investigation and prosecution of Internet sex offenses.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bazelon, E. (2013, January 24). The price of a stolen childhood. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

  • Brandt, J., Prescott, D. S., & Wilson, R. J. (2012). Pornography and contact offending. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment. Retrieved from: http://sajrt.blogspot.com/2012/09/pornography-and-contact-offending.html

  • Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-208 §121.110 Stat. 3009.

    Google Scholar 

  • Child Protection Act of 1984, 98-292 Stat 204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Child Protection and Obscenity Enforcement Act of 1988, Pub. L. 100-690. §7501 et seq.

    Google Scholar 

  • Child Sexual Abuse and Pornography Act of 1986, 99-628, 100 Stat. 3510.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, A. (1998). Sexuality and the internet: Surfing into the new millennium. Cyberpsycholo gy & Behavior, 1, 181–187. doi:10.1089/cpb.1998.1.187

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Justice. (2003, April). Protect act fact sheet. Retrieved from: http://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2003/April/03_ag_266.htm

  • Diamond, M. (1999). The effects of pornography: An international perspective. Retrieved from: www.hawaii.edu/PCSS/biblio/articles/1961to1999/1999-effects-of-pornography.html

  • Dauvergne, M. & Turner, J. (2010). Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2009. Juristat Component of Statistics Canada, 30, 1–37. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2010002/article/11292-eng.pdf

  • Endrass, J., Urbaniok, F., Hammermeister, L. C., Benz, C., Elbert, T., Laubacher, A., et al. (2009). The consumption of internet child pornography and violent and sex offending. BMC Psychiatry, 9, 1–7. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-9-43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frei, A., Erenay, N., Dittman, V., & Graf, M. (2005). Paedophilia on the internet: A study of 33 convicted offenders in the Canton of Lucerne. Swiss Medical Weekly, 135, 33–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, R. K., & Bussière, M. T. (1998). Predicting relapse: A meta-analysis of sexual offender recidivism studies. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 348–362. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.66.2.348

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, R. K. & Harris, A. J. R. (2000). Where should we intervene?: Dynamic predictors of sexual offense recidivism. Criminal Justice & Behavior, 27, 6–35. doi: 10.1177/0093854800027001002

    Google Scholar 

  • Howitt, D. (1995). Pornography and the paedophile: Is it criminogenic? British Journal of Medical Psychology, 68, 15–27. doi:10.1111/j.2044-8341.1995.tb01810.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kingston, D. A., Fedoroff, P., Firestone, P., Curry, S., & Bradford, J. M. (2008). Pornogra phy use and sexual aggression: The impact of frequency and type of pornography use on recidivism among sexual offenders. Aggressive Behavior, 34, 341–351. doi:10.1002/ab.20250

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kingston, D. A., Malamuth, N. M., Fedoroff, P., & Marshall, W. L. (2009). The importance of in dividual differences in pornography use: Theoretical perspectives and implications for treating sexual offenders. Journal of Sex Research, 46, 216–232. doi:10.1080/0022440902747701

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kyckelhan, T., Beck, A. J., & Cohen, T. H. (2009). Characteristics of suspected human trafficking incidents, 2007–2008. Washington, D.C.: Office of Justice Programs.

    Google Scholar 

  • Middleton, D., Mandeville-Norden, R., & Hayes, E. (2009). Does treatment work with Internet sex offenders? Emerging findings from the Internet Sex Offender Treatment Programme (i-SOTP). Journal of Sexual Aggression, 15, 5–19. doi:10.1080/13552600802673444

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, K. J. & Boyd, D. (2014). Understanding the role of technology in the commercial sexu al exploitation of children: The perspective of law enforcement. Crimes Against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire. Retrieved from: www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/CSEC%20and%20technology%20White%20Paper_Microsoft.pdf

  • Mitchell, K. J., Jones, L. M., Finkelhor, D., & Wolak, J. (2011). Internet-facilitated commercial sexual exploitation of children: Findings from a nationally representative sample of law-enforcement agencies in the U.S. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 23, 43–71. doi:10.1177/1079063210374347

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, K. J., Wolak, J., & Finkelhor, D. (2005). Police posing as juveniles online to catch sex offenders: Is it working? Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 17, 241–267. doi:10.1007/s11194-005-5055-2

    Google Scholar 

  • Motivans, M. & Kyckelhahn, T. (2007). Federal Prosecution of child sex exploitation offenders, 2006. Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin, 1–8. Retrieved from www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/fpcseo06.pdf

  • Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today (PROTECT) Act of 2003, 108 USC §§108–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riegel, D. L. (2004). Effects on boy-attracted pedosexual males of viewing boy erotica. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2004(33), 321–323. doi:10.1023/b:aseb.0000029071.89455.53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seto, M. C. (2013). Internet sex offenders. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Associa tion.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Seto, M. C., & Eke, A. W. (2005). The criminal histories and later offending of child pornography offenders. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 2005, 201–210. doi:10.1177/107906320501700209

    Google Scholar 

  • Sexual Exploitation of Children Act of 1977, 18 USC §2251.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheldon, K., & Howitt, D. (2008). Sexual fantasy in paedophile offenders: Can any model ex plain satisfactorily new findings from a study of internet and contact sexual offenders? Legal and Criminological Psychology, 13, 137–158. doi:10.1348/135532506X173045

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Terry, K.J. (2006). Sexual Offenses and Offenders: Theory, Practice, and Policy. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walsh, W., Wolak, J., & Finkelhor, D. (2013). Prosecution dilemmas and challenges for child pornography crimes: The third national juvenile online victimization study (NJOV-3). Crimes Against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire. Retrieved from: www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/CV266_Walsh_Prosecution%20Dilemmas%20for%20CP%20Crimes_FINAL_1-22-13.pdf

  • Webb, L., Craissati, J., & Keen, S. (2007). Characteristics of internet child pornography offenders: A comparison with child molesters. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 19, 449–465. doi:10.1177/107906320701900408

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wolak, J., Finkelhor, D., & Mitchell, K.J. (2009). Law Enforcement Responses to Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crimes: The National Online Juvenile Victimization Study, 2000 & 2006. Crimes Against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire. Retrieved from: www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/LE_Bulletin_final_Dec_09.pdf

  • Wolak, J., Finkelhor, D., & Mitchell, K. J. (2012). Trends in arrests for child pornography production: The third national juvenile online victimization study (NJOV-3). Crimes Against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolak, J., Liberatore, M., & Levine, B. N. (2013). Measuring a year of child pornography trafficking by U.S. computers on a peer-to-peer network. Child Abuse and Neglect, 38, 347–356. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.10.018

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wolak, J., Finkelhor, D., & Mitchell, K. J. (2012b). Trends in arrests for child pornography possession: The third national juvenile online victimization study (NJOV-3). Durham, NH: Crimes Against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wollert, R., Waggoner, J., & Smith, J. (2012). Federal child pornography offenders do not have florid offense histories and are unlikely to recidivate. In B. Schwartz (Ed.), The Sex Of fender, Volume VII (pp. 2–1 to 2-21).

    Google Scholar 

  • United States v. Dost, 636 F.Supp. 828 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ashley Spada .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Spada, A. (2016). Internet Sexual Offender Laws. In: Jeglic, E., Calkins, C. (eds) Sexual Violence. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44504-5_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44504-5_6

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-44502-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-44504-5

  • eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics