Sexual predators of young children in the Internet - Essay Example

Sexual Predators of Young children in the Internet Uncle U. Sam 15 October 2007 History 1011 Problem: The online security risk of children from pedophiles has been made all the more higher because of easy access through the Internet. As the government tries to secure children however, where parents could be rest assured of some security, pedophiles have become wiser in securing information as in library files or through other means. Parental advice have been made available. Online Security Risk of Children from Pedophiles As technology advances, information conveyance also advances. Thus the risk of various crimes such as human trafficking, including pedophilia, and illegal material trade caused by online incidents is all the more high. This paper looks into pedophilia particularly its risk on children as aided by the Internet. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2000), pedophilia is under the case of paraphilia. It is described as a psychosexual disorder in which a person fantasizes or is committing an act of sexual activity with pre-pubertal children (APA 2000). For online pedophiles, there are two categories: the dabbler and the preferential offender (Bennett and Hess 2001). The dabbler is essentially a typical adolescent searching for pornography, a curious adult with a newly found access to pornography; or a profit-motivated criminal. The other category named preferential offender is usually a sexually indiscriminate individual with a wide variety of deviant sexual interests or a pedophile with a definite preference for children (Bennett & Hess 2001). Historical antecedents. Pedophilia is one of the serious crimes that brought disturbance to every parent-citizen especially in United States. The Mary Ellen case, a high profile crime that involved sexual abuse of a small child, brought much public awareness of this syndrome. This is the first pedophilia case noted in the U.S. history in 1874 (Killias 2000). Pedophilia is closely related to cases of human trafficking of children or women for sexual exploitation or even selling of the very victims. In this activity, sex buyers could vary from pedophiles to other forms of sexually deviated persons (Ford 2004). As reported in Christian Science Monitor (Ford 2004), there is even an open child-sex market identified as being in the German-Czech border district that began in 1996 with child prostitutes, the youngest being 6 years old. The pedophile case in the U.S. ranks second in the crimes being reported in the news (Killias 2000). Current importance. The Internet has become a primary medium by which pedophiles exchange images and experiences with one another. Many of these pedophiles belong to international organizations and web rings that are known to distribute pornographic images of children as well as other related material (Lesce 1999). Through Internet chat rooms, podcasts and streaming radio, pedophiles from diverse backgrounds are able to share information, swap stories, politically organize and even give tips on how to distribute to children a printable booklet that extols the benefits of sex with adults. Despite the illegality and societal outrage having sex with minors, the Internet support groups help them justify their behavior (Dawson, 2006). Many online pedophiles that target youngsters are aware of the needs and desires of the young and use their knowledge to exploit the youth through seduction or manipulation (U.S. Department of Justice 2007.). The trouble is that as stated by California's Megan's Law Online, not all sex offenders are caught and convicted (Office of the Attorney General 2007). Controversy. Some pedophiles regard themselves as pushing for legalization of child pornography and the loosening of age-of-consent laws. They view themselves as fighting for children's rights to engage in sex with adults. A Dutch group, in fact, formed a pedophile political party, and celebrated when a Dutch court upheld the party's right to exist (Dawson 2006). In history, it was noted that the act of pedophilia was not originally a societal crime or a mental disorder. Many individual thinkers challenged the act of its being a crime or mental disorder. For example, Martin Willet of Debate Unlimited (1999) argued that pedophilia is not a crime but a sexual orientation, preference, and pattern of thought. Chat rooms, podcasts and Internet radio stations continually reinforce views such as these. Podcasts featured discussions such as the, "benefits of age difference in sexual relationships;" "failure of sex offender registries;" "children's sexual autonomy, practices and consequences" and "the misrepresentation of pedophilia in the news media" (Dawson 2006). Pedophiles rely on these socially-regarded explicit materials not only for self stimulation, but also for a sense of acceptance, the personal security that they are not alone in their habits (Killias 2000). Government inputs. In response to these problems, many organizations and movements have been promoting the protection of children's rights. This was ever since the Progressives, a movement that started in the 19th century, and has been conducting a series of awareness programs in relation to pedophilia. An example is the recent Cyber Crime Summit held in Kennesaw, Georgia, early this year, which objective is to call to the awareness of parents and guardians for children's safety online from sexual predators and the prevention of the crime (Mihelich 2007). Plato & Griffin (2002) noted, however, that there is a problem affecting the ability of law enforcement to control the safety of children. In reference to the Children's Internet Protection Act of 2000, libraries are required to use filtering software. This law is currently being challenged, and an injunction has been filed to prevent libraries from using filters. Accordingly, it is because as the Illinois Attorney General's Office was quoted as saying - It is common knowledge in the business of pedophiles and child pornography to go to your public library and download it because it is thereWhen there is communication online, there is an IP address. Addressing the issue. The issue of online child exploitation has caused some concern among many lawmakers. As a result, certain acts and laws have been passed to deal with the issue. On October 30, 1998, members of the Senate and House of Representatives of America in Congress enacted the Protection of Children From Sexual Predators Act of 1998 ("Protection of Children," 2007.). On November 13, 1997, New York State Attorney General Dennis Vacco formed a nationwide taskforce on kiddie porn which task force was made up of Attorney Generals from every state. Through the corporation of law enforcement agencies throughout the country, this undercover taskforce has been able to successfully identify and convict online pedophiles that distribute child pornography and other related material over the Internet ("Internet Crimes," 2007). Recently, the federal government has stepped up to members of the online pedophile community to let them know they are serious in their commitment to bring all those involved to justice. On March 18, 2002, the FBI publicly announced the arrest of 89 people throughout the United States for engaging in utilizing the Internet for purposes of exchanging and distributing child pornography ("Operation Candyman" 2002). Conclusion As technology advances, so do the tools these online pedophiles use in their efforts to avoid being detected or caught. These chat rooms should be monitored by law enforcement agencies. However, entrapment issues can come into play with respect to how law enforcement personnel go about trying to figure out if a chat room user is in fact an online pedophile (Quart 2000). The Internet is merely the latest area in which the pedophiles have captured a huge lead because of their networking and technical expertise (Lesce 1999). Although there is yet no long-term solution (Cloud 2003), many organizations have been formed to advise parents on how to teach their children to avoid the traps of Internet pedophilia. Works Cited "Internet Crimes Against Children: The Secrecy of Child Sexual Abuse." 16 Oct 2007 . "Operation Candyman," FBI Press Release: 18 Mar. 2002. 16 Oct 2007 . "Protection of Children From Sexual Predators: Public Law 105-314." 16 Oct 2007 . American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fourth ed. Washington D.C. 2000. 13 Oct 2007. Bennett, Wayne W and Karen M. Hess. ."Crimes Against Children." Criminal Investigation. California: Wadsworth, 2001. 289-313. Cloud, John. "Pedophilia." Time. 13 Jan. 2003. 15 Oct 2007 . Dawson, Christopher. "Pedophiles seek community online." ZDNet. 21 Aug. 2006.16 Oct 2007 . Ford, Peter. "Europe tackles pedophilia cases." The Christian Science Monitor. 9 Mar 2004. 14 Oct 2007 Killias, Martin. "The Emergence of a New Taboo: The Desexualisation of Youth in Western Societies since 1800." European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research. Dec. 2000. 14 Oct 2007. Lesce, Tony. "Pedophiles on the Internet: Law Enforcement Investigates Abuse." Law and Order, Vol. 47, No. 5, May 1999, pp. 74-78. Mihelich, Peggy. "Protecting your children from online predators." CNN News International Online. 23 Mar 2007. 15 Oct 2007 . Office of the Attorney General. Megan's Law Home. California's Megan's Law. 15 Oct 2007 < http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/>. Plato, JoLynn and Linda Griffin. "Pedophilia on the Internet." Educator's Guide to Computer Crime and Technology Misuse. 02 Aug. 2002. 15 Oct 2007 . Quart, Alissa. "The Sex Avengers." Time Digital. Sept. 2000, Vol. 5 No. 5. 15 Oct 2007 . U.S. Department of Justice: Federal Bureau of Investigation Publications. "A Parent's Guide to Internet Safety." 15 Oct 2007 Willet, Martin. "Pedophilia is not a crime." Debate Unlimited. 1999. 15 Oct 2007 Read More