Adolescents convicted of possession of abuse images of children: A new type of adolescent sex offender?

Abstract

Seven young people have been referred to the Taith Service for downloading offences over a 3-year period. The extent to which young “downloaders” may be similar or different to adults convicted of similar offences is considered. The sample group is also compared to a larger group of young people who have engaged in contact sexual offences across static and dynamic factors. The differences between these two sample groups and the potential implications thereof are discussed.