Data-based Profiling of Internet Child Pornography Offenders: A Study of the Causal Link between use of Internet Child Pornography and the Paedophilic Offending Behaviour

Abstract

This current topic was of interest of study by the researchers after the controvertial arrest of child pornography traffickers and abusers in Victoria on October 2004. However, this was a startling revelation to the extent of propogation of child pornography in Australia and Internationally. Thereafter, the issue of child pornography has become a major area of investigation for law enforcement authorities, as it parallels increasing concerns for the children in our society. However, this research study is to focus only on Interent sex offenders knowingly possessing child pornography. As it will be interesting to know, from the findings of this research study, the association between the usage of the Internet medium and its contribution to the development of sexually abusive behaviours towards minors. In addition, to investigate whether there were any other associated risk factors involved in this offending processes. One of the major challenges to a researcher in this study was to examine the causal links or associations between use of Internet child pornography and paedophilic offending behaviours with respect to their sex offending risk levels of two risk-categories such as the non-contact Internet sex offenders and contact Internet sex offenders. The findings of this research were startling that the low-risk and high-risk group of Internet sex offenders had significant differences in their risk factors that existed among the two-risk groups, assisted by exploring the demographic and offending-related risk factor variables in understanding the paedophilic offending behaviours. By studying their risk factors it is more likely to play a vital role in determining the causal link for these Internet sex offenders to progress from just viewing or collecting these images to potentially cause sexual violence against children.