Online child sexual offending

Abstract Advances in online telecommunication technologies have dramatically altered the manner in which individuals can engage in the sexual exploitation of children, with rates of online grooming, solicitation, and child exploitation material offences increasing substantially since the advent of the Internet. This chapter provides an overview of the legal and empirical literature pertaining to online child sexual offending. Offences related to online child exploitation material, grooming, and solicitation are outlined prior to reviewing what is known about the characteristics of individuals who engage in such offences. Findings related to the psychological and behavioural characteristics, reoffending patterns, and treatment needs of online child sexual offenders are presented and discussed in terms of their implications for practice. Consideration is also given to the limitations of the current knowledge base and directions for future research.