Investigating Child Exploitation And Pornography The Internet Law And Forensic Science

"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 book provides a comprehensive introduction to the problem of Internet child pornography that spotlights the connection between technology and behavior, presenting practical suggestions for reducing this pervasive problem. The role of the Internet in fueling the problem of child pornography is enormous. Prior to the Internet, child pornography was typically locally produced, of poor quality, expensive, and difficult to obtain. United States' law enforcement officials were able to boast in the late 1970s that the traffic in child pornography had virtually been eliminated. The advent of the Internet in the 1980s made vast quantities of child pornography instantly available in the privacy of the viewer's home. Today, child pornography largely exists because of the opportunities provided by the Internet. Internet Child Pornography provides a comprehensive overview of the issue by describing the problem of child pornography, examining the impact of the Internet, and presenting a profile of users. With this foundation in place, the authors then address responses to child pornography and shed light on the complexities of dealing with criminal activities that are perpetrated largely online—for example, the fact that people behave differently in online environments than they do in other areas of their lives. The book examines prevention efforts designed to reduce access to child pornography, law enforcement responses designed to catch known offenders, and treatment responses designed to reduce reoffending.

Child pornography is a critical legal and ethical problem that has experienced a resurgence coincident with the growth of the Internet. After international efforts to amend child protection laws in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, the prevalence of child pornography cases dropped precipitously and the distribution of child pornography was largely limited to the back rooms of adult bookstores, small cells of individual traders, and a limited, known list of overseas mail order providers. With the growth of the Internet, the ease, cost, and relative anonymity of transactions greatly increased the availability of child pornography and the number of child pornography offenders. Digital Child Pornography: A Practical Guide for Investigators seeks to address the problems faced in investigating child pornography offenses in the always-on, always-connected age. The contents of this book are organized into three sections as follows: • Foundations. The background and modern history of child pornography are covered. The prevalence and types of child pornography are addressed, and a typology of child pornographers is presented, including the psychological reasons for the individuals to be engaged in child pornography. An overview of the current federal laws addressing child pornography is presented, and key cases of recent interest are detailed. How to select investigators to investigate child pornography offenses and how to keep them safe are also reviewed. • Digital Forensics. Digital forensics, as applied to child pornography, is addressed. A methodology for planning for and conducting search warrants in child pornography offenses is provided, and key elements of proof needed that can be gathered digitally are presented. A framework for conducting dead-box analysis for evidence of child pornography offenses is provided. • Interviews and Interrogations. The subjects of child pornography cases take special care and feeding and they require special considerations when interviewing. The process of interviewing and interrogating child pornography subjects, from the planning stages through to obtaining a confession, is documented. Digital Child Pornography: A Practical Guide for Investigators is written by an investigator specifically for other child pornography investigators and provides the most comprehensive guide to these investigations currently available.

The Dept. of Justice (DoJ) reports that online child pornography crime has increased. DoJ funds the Nat. Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which maintains the CyberTipline to receive child pornography tips. A law passed in 2008 contains provisions to facilitate these investigations and create a national strategy to prevent, among other things, child pornography. This report examines: (1) the extent to which NCMEC determines the usefulness of tips; (2) mechanisms to help law enforcement coordination (i.e., deconfliction); and (3) the extent to which agencies are addressing factors that federal law enforcement reports may inhibit investigations. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand report.

Over the last decade there has been dramatically increased interest in the ways that technology has been used in the abuse and exploitation of children, due in part to increasing numbers of convictions for child pornography-related offenses. Opinion swings between those who feel that there is a danger of distorting the threat posed to children by technology, and those for whom it appears that the threat has been grossly underestimated. Current literature surrounding the debate at times seems to create more questions than answers and what quickly becomes apparent is that the data we have to inform our understanding is partial, potentially context specific, and at times seemingly contradictory. This book broadens our understanding of the complex nature of online sexual exploitation of children and considers the risk that those engaged in Internet-related offences pose to children in both the online and offline environments. It focuses on cutting-edge research and conceptual thinking that views perpetrators within context, examines those impacted by such offending, describes emerging legal and policy issues, and proposes innovative strategies for prevention within a dynamic global environment. Understanding and Preventing Online Sexual Exploitation of Children responds to the growing call for help across all practice areas, from judicial to therapeutic, and will provide an invaluable resource for practitioners and policy makers working in the field, as well as students and academics studying sexual exploitation and cyber crime.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the problem of Internet child pornography that spotlights the connection between technology and behavior, presenting practical suggestions for reducing this pervasive problem. The role of the Internet in fueling the problem of child pornography is enormous. Prior to the Internet, child pornography was typically locally produced, of poor quality, expensive, and difficult to obtain. United States' law enforcement officials were able to boast in the late 1970s that the traffic in child pornography had virtually been eliminated. The advent of the Internet in the 1980s made vast quantities of child pornography instantly available in the privacy of the viewer's home. Today, child pornography largely exists because of the opportunities provided by the Internet. Internet Child Pornography provides a comprehensive overview of the issue by describing the problem of child pornography, examining the impact of the Internet, and presenting a profile of users. With this foundation in place, the authors then address responses to child pornography and shed light on the complexities of dealing with criminal activities that are perpetrated largely online—for example, the fact that people behave differently in online environments than they do in other areas of their lives. The book examines prevention efforts designed to reduce access to child pornography, law enforcement responses designed to catch known offenders, and treatment responses designed to reduce reoffending.