Investigating Child Sexual 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.

The issue of child sexual exploitation (CSE) has received intense scrutiny in recent years, following a number of high profile legal cases, serious case reviews and inquiries. This has resulted in increasing expectations that those working in the field will know how to appropriately manage and respond to this form of abuse. Of course, this is no easy task given the widely acknowledged difficulties of identifying and responding to sexual abuse and the particular complexities associated with the gain dynamic within CSE and the predominantly older age of children affected by it. This edited collection draws on the latest research evidence and academic thinking around CSE to consider issues of understanding and response. Written by researchers from ‘The International Centre: Researching child sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking’ at the University of Bedfordshire, Part I considers issues of understanding and conceptualisation. Part II considers the practical implications of some of this thinking, sharing learning from research and evaluation on prevention, identification and response. Understanding and Responding to Child Exploitation presents critical learning for academics and students, and for those working in the fields of policy, practice and commissioning. It is relevant to a wide range of disciplines including social care, youth work, education, criminology, health and social policy.

This handbook guides law-enforcement professionals through the essential steps of a child sexual abuse investigation. The use of case studies, charts, outlines, checklists, photographs and illustrations all aid in demonstrating how to perform an effective investigation.

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.

"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."--

The Sexual Exploitation of Children: A Practical Guide to Assessment, Investigation, and Intervention, Second Edition discusses the new and different developments in the manifestation of problems involved in investigation and assessment of sexual cases and offers advice on dealing with these issues. Although many of the difficulties involved in investigation and assessment of sexual abuse allegations have remained unchanged since the first edition of this book appeared in 1987, the manner in which investigations are conducted must adapt to these new and different developments. 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 updated and completely revised handbook guides anyone who needs to investigate or assess child sexual abuse allegations through the essential steps of enquiry.