Child Predators

The advent of the Internet in the 1990s and the subsequent advances in communications technology has provided a new way for people to access millions of pages of information and a new, quick, and efficient means to communicate with each other. The use of this modern technology has changed the way society communicates, shares information, and how merchants market their products and how consumers purchase those products. However, these advances have also made it easier for people to commit crimes, particularly those against minor children, and have made it difficult for law enforcement and other criminal justice system agencies to investigate and prosecute these crimes. Criminals have become well-versed in a variety of methods used to commit …show more content…
Before the technological boom and widespread use of computing devices that brought the widespread access to the Internet, child predators generally relied on searching and finding their victims in locations where children typically gathered in public places, such as parks, playgrounds, and shopping malls (OVC, 2001). As the availability of the Internet increased, so did the viable options for predators to target children. These online services have become the preferred method for child predators to use because of the easy access they provide to their target population and the relative safety and anonymity offenders believe they have by committing their crimes behind a monitor and out of public view (Orthman & Hess, 2013). This virtual world, known as cyberspace, has become the new park, playground, and shopping mall for child predators. The list of online applications that predators use to gain access to their victims with is extensive. A few of the most popular ones are Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Instagram Snapchat, and Vine and these social media applications are generally available for free on a variety of computer and smartphone platforms, many of which are accessible by children and …show more content…
Once a vulnerable victim is identified, the predator will typically target and establish rapport with a potential victim, then the predator will spend time cultivating a relationship with the victim to further gain their trust. Once they gain the child's trust, it becomes easier for the offender to convince them to engage in the exchange of pornography or engage in encounters of a sexual nature. Unfortunately for both the victim and the perpetrator, a false sense of security and secrecy exists when using these online