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Offense Processes of Online Sexual Grooming and Abuse of Children Via Internet Communication Platforms
Open accessAbstract
The aim of the present study was to provide an inclusive and realistic account of the offense processes of naturally occurring, sexually exploitative interactions between offenders and victims that took place via Internet communication platforms, and develop an offense process diagram of online sexual grooming and abuse. Five case series, comprising 29 transcripts of 22 interactions, were analyzed using the qualitative approach of thematic analysis. Police reports were reviewed for descriptive and case-specific information. The five offenders were men aged between 27 and 52 years ( M = 33.6, SD = 5.6), and the number of children they communicated with ranged from one to 12 ( M = 4.6, SD = 4.5). Victims were aged between 11 and 15 ( M = 13.0, SD = 1.2), and were both female ( n = 17) and male ( n = 6). Findings revealed that offenders employed either an indirect or a direct approach to conversations with victims and initiating contact with them. The approach offenders employed was also reflected in the types of strategies they used. Only two offenders were found to engage in aspects of sexual grooming as part of an indirect approach; the majority of the interactions by the other three offenders, that lacked features of sexual grooming altogether, were found to be of a direct approach. These findings are discussed in relation to current issues surrounding terminology and definition of sexual grooming, as well as theoretical and practical implications, concluding with suggestions for future research.
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“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).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Flattery also often directly preceded a sexual request (Kloess etal., 2019; Powell etal., 2021; Seymour-Smith & Kloess, 2021).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
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The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“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.”
From Offender strategies for engaging children in online sexual activity (2021) · cites this paper as Kloess et al. (2019)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Offender strategies for engaging children in online sexual activity (2021) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Kloess et al. (2019) investigated five offenders' interactions with 29 actual children and distinguished between direct and indirect approaches.”
From Offender strategies for engaging children in online sexual activity (2021) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“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].”
From Grooming Risk Factors in Adolescents with Abuse Histories: Insights from Chilean Reparative Programs (2025) · cites this paper as [27]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“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.”
From 3.2 Sexual Online Grooming of Children – A Short Overview of the Offender Literature (2025) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“This strategy often preceded sexual interactions, and ultimately functioned to increase victims' compliance (Kloess etal., 2019).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“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”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“The more subtle version of this approach involved conveying disappointment and sadness at victims' refusal to engage (Kloess etal., 2017, 2019).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Offender strategies for engaging children in online sexual activity (2021) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Offender strategies for engaging children in online sexual activity (2021) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Those who employed an indirect approach used compliments, flattery, and gentle pressure through disappointment and sadness, and prepared the child by grooming.”
From Offender strategies for engaging children in online sexual activity (2021) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“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].”
From Grooming Risk Factors in Adolescents with Abuse Histories: Insights from Chilean Reparative Programs (2025) · cites this paper as [27]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“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].”
From Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children and Adolescents with Disabilities: A Systematic Review (2024) · cites this paper as [9]
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
In the citing paper
“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”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
In the citing paper
“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.”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
In the citing paper
“Gift-Giving. Four articles reported the use of material gifts (De Santisteban et al., 2018; Gámez-Guadix et al., 2021; Kloess et al., 2019).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
In the citing paper
“In an attempt to incite victims, individuals also exposed themselves and engaged in masturbation (Kloess et al., 2019; Shannon, 2008; Whittle etal., 2015).”
From Unraveling the Complexities of Offender Strategies as Part of Online Sexual Grooming and Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as Kloess et al., 2019
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Metadata
- Authors
- Kloess, J. A., Hamilton-Giachritsis, C. E., & Beech, A. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- University of Bath (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Kloess, Juliane A.
- Venue
- Sexual Abuse
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2017-07-17
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 73-96
- ISSN
- 1079-0632 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-286X
- OpenAlex
- W2729455610
- Cited by
- 118
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 2
- FWCI
- 6.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Locations
- Sexual Abuse (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- The University of Bath Online Publications Store (The University of Bath) (submittedVersion)
- Pure (University of Bath) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Social Sciences › Law › Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Keywords
- online sexual grooming, child sexual abuse, victim-offender relationship, indirect approach, direct approach, child sexual exploitation
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Child, Child Abuse, Sexual, Communication, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Pedophilia, Crime Victims, Internet, Criminals
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