UNH research reveals alarming numbers of online sexual solicitations of children

A recent study conducted by the Crimes Against Children Research Center at UNH found that one in 25 young people in the United States received online requests for sexual pictures of themselves. The alarming statistic has experts warning children to be careful what they post online.

Researchers collected the data in 2005, conducting a survey among 1,500 kids between the ages of 10 and 17. UNH researchers Kimberly Mitchell, Janis Wolak and David Finkelhor analyzed the data and co-authored an article titled “Online Requests for Sexual Pictures From Youth: Risk Factors and Incident Characteristics,” which was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health on Friday, July 20. The article details the study’s disturbing results.

According to Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center, victims received requests for pictures of themselves posing nude, masturbating or performing sexual acts. Most of the requests targeted teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15 who were interacting with people on chat lines or through instant messaging. While some requests came from acquaintances of the victims, most came from strangers.

The majority of children who received solicitations for sexual images did not comply with the requests, Finkelhor said. “In general, most kids don’t think this is a smart idea. But some kids will, and even if there’s a very small number who do, because we’re talking about a national standpoint here, 4 percent is a large number of kids,” he said.

Only a handful of the children surveyed said they had reported requests to authorities. Most requests are made in a flirtatious or flattering manner, and many children dismiss them as relatively harmless pranks.

“Very few of the kids made any kind of report,” Finkelhor said. “I think the general sense is, ‘Let me get rid of this as quickly as possible, turn it off or put this person on the list of people to filter out.’”

But Finkelhor stressed that solicitations for pornographic materials are often more dangerous than they appear. The photos could wind up in a widespread circulation of cyberspace fantasy images collected by child molesters and pornography collectors, he said. Even worse, some sexual predators aggressively pursue the people behind the images. “It’s important for everybody to keep in mind that these people may go on and victimize someone else,” Finkelhor said, adding that Internet users should take responsibility when they notice suspicious activity online.

The importance of vigilance regarding pornographic images became especially apparent on July 13, when investigators allegedly found an estimated 150,000 child pornography images stored on a computer in a Raymond home. Police arrested 42-year-old Scott Martin, who is accused of sexually assaulting at least three young girls, ages 11, 12 and 13, who were pictured in the images.

Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams said his office has become increasingly concerned about electronic child pornography in recent years. He noted that studies have revealed a link between child pornography and child molestation. “We’re processing many more electronic child porn cases than we ever did in the past,” Reams said. “The volume of child porn that they have when we catch them is huge. This recent one in Raymond is precedent setting, but nobody has three pictures. They have thousands.”

Researchers for the UNH study were particularly distressed to discover that children with histories of sexual abuse are at higher risk of receiving requests for sexual pictures. Such children, he said, are more likely to respond to “overtures of interest because they are emotionally needy or isolated,” Finkelhor said.

Even images exchanged between acquaintances, such as boyfriends and girlfriends, can come back to haunt people, Finkelhor noted. A former boyfriend or girlfriend could later distribute suggestive images in retaliation for an ugly breakup. “In the teenage years, as well as later on, boyfriend-girlfriend relationships are often short-lived and tempestuous and can turn from love to hate pretty quickly,” he said.

Requesting sexual pictures from children is a federal offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison. But Finkelhor reminds people that complying with such requests is also a crime. Although children are usually perceived as victims in such cases, they too can be prosecuted for providing sexual pictures of themselves. Authorities rarely prosecute children in such situations, but the threat of criminal charges can loom over a child’s head. “(Children) could be manipulated by law enforcement, using the threat of prosecution to get them to reveal the offender and things like that,” Finkelhor said. “It definitely will not be a pleasant experience to be involved in one of these investigations.”

Finkelhor encourages recipients of requests for sexual pictures to forward the solicitations to their local police department or the national CyberTipline. Ignoring the request could leave other children at risk. “It’s important for everybody to keep in mind that these people may go on and victimize someone else,” he said. 

Tracking the source of a request for sexual material can be challenging, depending on how clever its author is. “It’s easier than people think, but it’s not automatic,” Finkelhor said. “People who want to disguise their identity can do so and it can be hard, but not all of the people making these kind of requests are all that full of guile. They’re just trying to get lucky, and many of those people can be traced.”

Reams confirmed that technological advances in electronic imaging have been mirrored by advances in the technology that allows investigators to catch the culprits. “It sort of goes hand in hand. One of the ironies of computer evidence, electronic evidence, is that computers keep track of everything,” he said. “The technology that makes it available also makes it traceable.”

Reams urged young recipients of requests for pornographic images to alert a parent, teacher, school resource officer or other adult who can forward the information to the police department.

According to Finkelhor, the Crimes Against Children Research Center has the only program in the country aimed specifically at researching Internet sex crimes against children. The center tracks trends in sexual abuse and violence against children and studies the victims of such abuse. One of the center’s goals is to spread awareness about new technology that can be used to exploit children, such as advances to the Internet and digital cameras.

To report an Internet sex crime, go to www.cybertipline.com or contact your local police department.