Online Sexual Solicitation of Minors: How Often and between Whom Does It Occur?

Objectives: This study examined how frequently online sexual solicitation of adolescents and children by adults occurs and what characteristics the perpetrators have using a novel methodological approach. Method: In an online survey, we investigated the frequency of online sexual solicitation exhibited by adult Internet users (N 1⁄4 2,828), including a subgroup recruited on pedophilia-related websites. Perpetrators soliciting adolescents were compared to those soliciting children concerning solicitation outcomes (e.g., cybersex) and demography. Results: In total, 4.5 percent reported soliciting adolescents and 1.0 percent reported soliciting children. Most solicitors of adolescents and children were from pedophilia-related websites (49.1 and 1 Department of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany 2 Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany 3 Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland Corresponding Author: Anja Schulz, Department of Sport Science, Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sport Science, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. Email: [email protected] Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 2016, Vol. 53(2) 165-188 a The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0022427815599426 jrc.sagepub.com 79.2 percent). Solicitation frequently involved sexual outcomes (47.5 percent), which also followed nonsexual interaction. The minors’ age did not affect the odds of sexual outcomes. A substantial proportion of perpetrators were female. Conclusions: This study offers unprecedented data on the number of adults soliciting minors. Although adolescents were more often target of solicitation, the risk of sexual outcomes was equally high in solicitation of children, suggesting younger children to be considered in prevention efforts as well. Nonsexual interactions resulting in sexual outcomes need to be more closely examined to inform appropriate prevention efforts. Moreover, awareness should be raised about females as perpetrators.