NCJ Number
192630
Journal
Law Enforcement Quarterly Volume: 30 Issue: 3 Dated: Winter 2001 Pages: 20-27
Date Published
2001
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article discusses Internet crimes against children and efforts by law enforcement to address pedophilia and other Internet crimes against children.
Abstract
Crime in cyberspace is increasing steadily and is surprisingly underreported. A telephone survey of 1,501 youths ages 10-17 who used the Internet regularly revealed that 1 in 5 reported receiving a sexual solicitation over the Internet in the last year and that 1 in 33 had received multiple aggressive requests to meet offline. The usual suspect for pedophilia over the Internet is a white, middle-aged male with a family, no criminal record, and a responsible job. Most online predators leave a trail on the Internet when they seek and view child pornography. The San Diego County (CA) Police Department has formed 1 of 30 local chapters of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force to investigate any crime that uses a computer and exploits a child. ICAC efforts can aid arrest and punishment under California laws or Federal law. Cases are challenging in that they involve multiple jurisdictions, agencies, and prosecutors, as well as numerous State and Federal search warrants. San Diego has the FBI-funded Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory to aid with examining seized computers for evidence. First responders should first consider whether a child is at risk and next should consider several areas of routine inquiry to aid the investigation and prosecution. Case examples and photographs