Investigating Child Exploitation And Pornography

"Investigating Child Exploitation: The Internet, The Law and Forensic Science is a pioneering interdisciplinary work. This book brings together all the information that prosecutors, investigators, forensic computer analysts, information technology professionals and students need to understand and solve these complex crimes. Real-life examples help to guide the reader through the often multi-layered, technology driven field of investigating and prosecuting Internet-related child exploitation."--

This guide indicates the sexual victimization of children is perpetrated by family members, acquaintances, and strangers; encompasses pornography, sex rings, and prostitution; and primarily involves preferential sex offenders who victimize children by operating child sex and pornography rings. Preferential sex offenders tend to be predatory serial offenders and can usually be identified by long-term and persistent behavior patterns, specific sexual interests, and fantasy-driven behavior. They often suffer from paraphilias, psychosexual disorders that involve recurrent, intense, and sexually arousing fantasies and from sexual urges and behaviors that usually involve nonhuman objects, the humiliation of oneself or one's partner, and children or other nonconsenting persons. In child sex ring and pornography cases, offenders typically control their victims by seducing them with attention, affection, kindness, and gifts until they have lowered the victim's inhibitions and gained his or her cooperation and consent. Because of their bond with the offender, victims frequently resent law enforcement intervention and may even warn the offender. The investigation of child sexual exploitation cases involving multiple victims molested by preferential offenders is usually complex and difficult. Guidelines are presented for interviewing victims and offenders, investigating offenders, recovering child exploitation evidence, obtaining expert search warrants, and conducting an effective prosecution. Special procedures to follow when investigating child sexual exploitation cases involving computers are noted, and types of offenders who engage in child pornography using computers are identified. An investigator's checklist for interviewing victims of preferential sex offenders is included. 6 references.

Intended for investigators, attorneys, clinicians, court evaluators, medical practitioners, and anyone who is involved in the litigation of child sexual abuse, this book focuses on proven field-tested methods gathered from law enforcement and clinical practitioners throughout the country. This definitive handbook guides anyone who needs to investigate or assess child sexual abuse allegations through the essential steps of inquiry.

This book provides practical information on offenses and offenders in child sexual trafficking, including child pornography, juvenile prostitution, procuring, pedophilia, sex tourism, indenturing, and sex rings. The information is based on 5 years of field research through interviews with victims, offenders, and agency practitioners; field observations; and case studies from police and social service files. Chapters on offenders and victims define the major terms, describe the various markets, and survey types of child sexual exploiters, with particular attention to pedophilia. Four aspects of child sexual trafficking are then examined in detail : hustling, pimping, child pornography, and the international child sex trade. Chapters on ways to counter child sexual trafficking include a weighing of the prospects for reform through State and Federal statutes and judicial advocacy, alternative sentencing, and improvement in the quality of relevant professional services. An examination of the victimization cycle addresses types of exploitive parents, with attention to the role of dysfunctional families in the sexual victimization of their children. The discussion of victim advocacy reviews victim treatment, federal child sexual exploitation task forces, police-social worker teams, and case preparation. (NCJRS, modified).