Proceedings [PDF] - Measurement and Analysis of P2P Activity ...

International Conference Advances in the Analysis of Online Paedophile Activity Paris, France; 2-3 June, 2009
The suspect’s behaviour was sufficient to constitute ‘grooming’, as defined in
the Sexual Offences Act 2003, and as such justified formal police intervention.
The investigation revealed that the offender had other previous criminal
convictions (‘kerb-crawling’, soliciting a prostitute and for possession of
cocaine). The suspect’s computer was seized and analysed and it was found
that previously he had met and sexually abused another child who he had
groomed online.
Also, around 6000 images of children under the age of 16 were found in the
suspect’s computer, and many of these were indecent. Of the total collection
of images, 4500 depicted children dressed in underwear or swimwear, and
1117 portrayed children being physically abused. It was further discovered that
the offender regularly discussed the sexual abuse of children with other likeminded
individuals by logging on to dedicated websites, including a number of
different child love forums.
Furthermore, it emerged from interviews with the Canadian girl that the
suspect had been sending her indecent images of other children. This
represents another ‘grooming’ tactic whereby child abuse images are shown
to the child to lower that child’s inhibitions concerning sexual activity (Krone,
T., 2005) and to make the child believe that it can be regarded as ‘normal’ to
have sex with adults or to pose naked in front of a camera. The suspect then
asked the girl to send him indecent pictures of herself. He also offered to pay
the girl money to produce and send indecent images of one of her younger
friends.
Case Two
The same 34 year-old businessman discussed in Case Study One arranged to
meet one of the many victims he groomed online. The victim was a 15-yearold
girl from the USA. She met the offender when she was in England on
holiday with her mother and grandmother. The mother knew about the
relationship between her daughter and the man, but did not at first suspect
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