Offense processes of online sexual grooming and abuse of children via internet communication platforms

Some individuals intentionally utilized websites designed for and popular among children and young people, such as public chat rooms of a particular topic, to identify and approach potential victims.

“Some individuals described intentionally utilizing websites designed for and popular among children and young people, such as public chat rooms of a particular topic (area), to identify and approach potential victims (Kloess et al., 2019).”

Others reported a preference for targeting victims on websites which offered a video chat function due to the opportunities this presents for facilitating sexual interactions.

“Others reported a preference for targeting victims on websites which offered a video chat function due to the opportunities this presents for facilitating sexual interactions (De Santisteban et al., 2018; Kloess et al., 2019).”

Flattery often directly preceded a sexual request.

“Flattery also often directly preceded a sexual request (Kloess etal., 2019; Powell etal., 2021; Seymour-Smith & Kloess, 2021).”

Four included articles described that individuals often presented themselves as a trustworthy confidante as a method of building a deeper emotional connection with the victim and sustaining engagement.

“Four of the included articles described how individuals often presented themselves as a trustworthy confidante as a method of building a deeper, emotional connection with the victim, and sustaining engagement (De Santisteban et al., 2018; Kloess etal., 2019; Powell etal., 2021; Whittle etal., 2015).”

Individuals typically requested the child's contact information, including telephone number, instant messaging account details, and less commonly email address, to migrate communication.

“Individuals typically fulfilled this desire by requesting the child's contact information, including their telephone number (De Santisteban etal., 2018; Kloess etal., 2019; Shannon, 2008), instant messaging account details (Kloess etal., 2017, 2019; Shannon, 2008), and, less commonly, their email address (Kloess et al., 2017).”

Individuals provided victims with a variety of gifts, including concert tickets, phones, clothes, and sex toys, with the intention of creating a sense of obligation within the victim to reciprocate and thereby achieving compliance and engagement.

“More specifically, individuals provided victims with a variety of gifts, including concert tickets, phones, clothes, and sex toys, with the intention of creating a sense of obligation within the victim to reciprocate in some way, and thereby ultimately achieving compliance and engagement (De Santisteban etal., 2018; Kloess etal., 2019).”

Two articles reported on individuals' approaches to sexualizing conversations and interactions by rehearsing hypothetical scenarios with victims in the physical world.

“Fantasy Rehearsal. Two articles reported on individuals' approaches to sexualizing conversations and interactions by rehearsing hypothetical scenarios with victims in the physical world (Kloess etal., 2017, 2019).”

Kloess et al. (2019) analyzed transcripts from five offenders interacting with 29 child victims; the most commonly used strategies were indirect and included compliments, flattery, and affection, as well as persistence and manipulation.

“Moreover, Kloess et al. (2019) analyzed transcripts from five offenders interacting with 29 child victims.The most commonly used strategies were indirect and included compliments, flattery, and affection, as well as persistence and manipulation.”

Data from offenders' interactions with decoys does not imitate what happens in naturally occurring interactions with actual children.

“This finding adds support to the claim that data from offenders' interactions with decoys does not imitate what happens in naturally occurring interactions with actual children (Chiang & Grant, 2018;Kloess et al., 2019;Schneevogt et al., 2018).”

Kloess et al. (2019) investigated five offenders' interactions with 29 actual children and distinguished between direct and indirect approaches.

“Kloess et al. (2019) investigated five offenders' interactions with 29 actual children and distinguished between direct and indirect approaches.”

Social networks and virtual platforms facilitate immediate contact and interactions among individuals with similar communication needs.

“In line with this and based on recent research, it has been noted that social networks and virtual platforms facilitate immediate contact and interactions among individuals with similar communication needs [27].”

It is questionable whether such 'blitz'-type approaching behavior still counts as SOG.

“This renders it questionable whether such 'blitz'-type approaching behavior still counts as SOG (Kloess et al., 2019), thus once more highlighting the above mentioned problems in operationalizing SOG.”

Some individuals portrayed themselves to be around the same age as their victims, while others slightly reduced their age while still presenting themselves as much older than the child.

“More specifically, while some individuals portrayed themselves to be around the same age as their victims (Kloess et al., 2019; Seymour-Smith & Kloess, 2021; K. Thomas etal., 2023), others slightly reduced their age while still presenting themselves as much older than the child (De Santisteban et al., 2018; Shannon, 2008).”

Migrating to phone contact can be seen as a form of escalation, as the offender becomes part of the victim's personal life offline.

“Multiple articles noted that individuals may do so to further establish their role in the victim's lives: 'This (phone contact) can also be seen as a form of escalation, as the offender becomes a part of the victim's personal life offline.' (Kloess etal., 2019, p. 85).”

This strategy often preceded sexual interactions and ultimately functioned to increase victims' compliance.

“This strategy often preceded sexual interactions, and ultimately functioned to increase victims' compliance (Kloess etal., 2019).”

The use of pressure in order to overcome victims' resistance was observed across five articles.

“Pressure. The use of pressure in order to overcome victims' resistance was observed across five articles (Kloess et al., 2017, 2019; Powell etal., 2021; Seymour-Smith & Kloess, 2021; K. Thomas etal., 2023).”

It was evident across three articles that some individuals attempted to normalize sexual relationships between adults and children in order to reduce victims' inhibitions and minimize risk of disclosure.

“Normalizing Sexual Relationships. It was evident across three articles that some individuals attempted to normalize sexual relationships between adults and children in order to reduce victims' inhibitions and minimize risk of disclosure (Kloess etal., 2017, 2019; Powell etal., 2021).”

Individuals in two articles were reported to resort to begging in response to victims' non-compliance through presenting as desperate and in need, and using repeated pleas to overcome victims' resistance and achieve engagement in sexualized interactions.

“Begging. Individuals in two articles were reported to resort to begging in response to victims' non-compliance (Kloess et al., 2017, 2019) through presenting as desperate and in need, and using repeated pleas to overcome victims' resistance and achieve engagement in sexualized interactions: 'Offenders could be seen to be persistent by repeating questions and statements, as well”

The more subtle version of seeking sympathy involved conveying disappointment and sadness at victims' refusal to engage.

“The more subtle version of this approach involved conveying disappointment and sadness at victims' refusal to engage (Kloess etal., 2017, 2019).”

Some offenders displayed no features of grooming, instead using a direct approach including aggressive, persistent, non-compromising, and pressuring strategies in order to achieve compliance from the child.

“Some offenders, however, displayed no features of grooming, instead using a direct approach including aggressive, persistent, non-compromising, and pressuring strategies in order to achieve compliance from the child (Kloess et al., 2019).”

Early initiation of sexual topics is also reported in interactions with actual children, and some interactions are described as lacking elements of grooming altogether.

“Early initiation of sexual topics is also reported in interactions with actual children (Tener et al., 2015), and some interactions are described as lacking elements of grooming altogether (Kloess et al., 2019).”

Offenders who employed an indirect approach used compliments, flattery, and gentle pressure through disappointment and sadness, and prepared the child by grooming.

“Those who employed an indirect approach used compliments, flattery, and gentle pressure through disappointment and sadness, and prepared the child by grooming.”

Adolescents with difficulties in face-to-face social interaction often seek to compensate in digital environments, generating a higher risk of being contacted by groomers.

“Likewise, adolescents with difficulties in face-to-face social interaction often seek to compensate for these limitations in digital environments [28], where they can better control how they present themselves and avoid the stress associated with face-to-face interactions [29], thus generating a higher risk of being contacted by the groomers [27].”

In an investigation analyzing transcripts of interactions between five offenders and their victims, certain perpetrators employed indirect and intricate methodologies to cultivate relationships with minors, including online grooming.

“In an investigation which involved the analysis of transcripts documenting interactions between five offenders and their victims, it was observed that certain perpetrators employed indirect and intricate methodologies to cultivate relationships with minors, including online grooming [9].”

Three articles described individuals initiating contact with multiple victims simultaneously or sequentially.

“Three articles described individuals initiating contact with multiple victims simultaneously (De Santisteban et al., 2018; Kloess et al., 2019; Shannon, 2008) or sequentially (Kloess etal., 2019).”

Some individuals used empathy to build trust, demonstrated through prolonged telephone conversations, providing a space for children to feel listened to and validated, and offering advice.

“Some individuals used empathy to build trust (Powell et al., 2021), demonstrated through actions such as engaging in prolonged telephone conversations, providing a space for children to feel listened to and validated, and offering advice (De Santisteban et al., 2018; Kloess etal., 2019).”

The nature and level of contact between individuals and their victims were described in six articles, with some contact as frequent as daily and of an intense nature.

“Frequency and Intensity of Contact. The nature and level of contact between individuals and their victims were described in six articles (Chiang, 2018; De Santisteban etal., 2018; Kloess etal., 2019; Shannon, 2008; K. Thomas etal., 2023; Whittle etal., 2015), with some contact as frequent as daily and of an intense nature (De Santisteban etal., 2018; Kloess etal., 2019): 'I couldn't like”

Across three articles, individuals were found to share pornographic material with victims, which appeared to serve the purpose of desensitizing them to explicit content and familiarizing them with it.

“Sharing Pornographic Material. Across three articles (Kloess et al., 2017, 2019; Powell et al., 2021), individuals were found to share pornographic material with victims, which appeared to serve the purpose of desensitizing them to explicit content, and familiarizing them with it.”

Sometimes used in conjunction with gift-giving, and in order to achieve victims' compliance, individuals incited victims to engage in specified sexual acts/activities in exchange for financial payment.

“Sometimes used in conjunction with gift-giving (Kloess et al., 2019), and in order to achieve victims' compliance, individuals were seen to incite them to engage in specified sexual acts/ activities in exchange for financial payment: '£20 to let me stare at ur tits for 5 mins.' (Chiang, 2018, p. 99).”

Four articles reported the use of material gifts.

“Gift-Giving. Four articles reported the use of material gifts (De Santisteban et al., 2018; Gámez-Guadix et al., 2021; Kloess et al., 2019).”

Normalizing sexual relationships involved individuals sharing details of their past sexual experiences with other victims, including emphasizing the child's level of enjoyment and their own level of experience, and thereby presenting themselves as an appropriate sexual partner.

“This involved individuals sharing details of their past sexual experiences with other victims, including emphasizing the child's level of enjoyment and their own level of experience (Kloess etal., 2017; Powell et al., 2021), and thereby presenting themselves as an appropriate sexual partner: 'ive taken a few virginities before. . . .' (Kloess etal., 2019, p. 83).”

In an attempt to incite victims, individuals also exposed themselves and engaged in masturbation.

“In an attempt to incite victims, individuals also exposed themselves and engaged in masturbation (Kloess et al., 2019; Shannon, 2008; Whittle etal., 2015).”

The manner of sexualizing conversations varied across articles: some individuals used a direct and highly explicit approach, while others opted for a more gradual and suggestive approach.

“However, the manner in which this was done varied across articles. Some individuals used a direct and highly explicit approach (Chiang, 2018; Kloess etal., 2019; Powell etal., 2021), while others opted for a more gradual and suggestive approach (Gámez-Guadix etal., 2021; Kloess etal., 2017, 2019; Seymour-Smith & Kloess, 2021; Shannon, 2008).”