Online Child Exploitation Archives | Human Trafficking Front

Understanding Trafficking in Adult Entertainment

Human trafficking is the second-largest and fastest-growing criminal industry. Sex trafficking, the most common form, disproportionately impacts children. The average age of entry into prostitution and pornography is between 12 to 14 years old. Sixty-three percent of U.S. sex trafficking survivors were advertised online during their trafficking situation. This article aims to increase understanding of trafficking in the online […]

Tools for Law Enforcement and Prosecution

Law enforcement must protect children from online exploitation while complying with human rights standards. The International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) provides guidelines on how to achieve this balance. Unfortunately, few agencies instruct their officers on ICCPR guidelines, leading to poor human rights training. This article explores ICCPR standards and how countries might adopt them when […]

Financially Driven Online Child Sextortion

Modern criminals have evolved by using technology to exploit vulnerable individuals. A particularly concerning example is “sextortion,” a combination of “sex” and “extortion,” of children. U.S. lawmakers have failed to combat this problem head-on, relying instead on legislation that targets adjacent issues. Predators may commit online child sextortion for financial gain. This article explores U.S. federal inadequacy in addressing […]

How the Dark Web Hides Child Sexual Abuse Material

The dark net is an encrypted, anonymity-focused part of the internet that designers built to thwart tracking. U.S. authorities have identified the dark web as a collection of hyperlinked services on the dark net only accessible through specialized technologies. Internet browsers use the dark web’s online identity protection for purposes that range from anti-authoritarian regime reforms […]

The Online Exploitation of Children

Online child sexual exploitation (OCSE) is a growing problem facing modern lawmakers. The internet’s expanding reach helps offenders find and exploit victims, challenging international minor protection efforts. OCSE cases, such as online child pornography, can be considered forms of online child sex trafficking as a minor is used with the ultimate goal of exploiting the child, and […]

Virtual Child Pornography Ethical and Legal Overview

Virtual child pornography is the explicit or exploitative virtual representation of a minor. These child avatars may be cartoonish or highly realistic. Virtual child pornography is one of many growing virtual reality trends. Society and lawmakers must decide how this trend impacts children. Interpol has recently put out a report calling for the criminalization of harmful activity in the […]

How CSAM Distributors Exist on the Dark Web

The dark web is a network that specializes in user’s online identity protection. While many internet browsers have employed this cloak for good, it has attracted an unsavory group. Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) distributors are increasingly adopting the dark web as a means of dissemination. In 2021, the 10 most harmful CSAM sites on the marketplace […]

Encrypted Message Apps and Child Safety

In an increasingly digitized world, online users have adopted end-to-end encryption as a reliable means of securing sensitive information. This shift has protected journalists from oppressive regimes, everyday users from potential fraud, and children from unwanted attention. However, encryption has also allowed individuals with exploitative intent to harm children without alerting authorities. Most websites forbid the distribution of […]

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