Advancements in technology and increased Internet accessibility have provided Canadians with a wide range of opportunities for enhancing daily life. However, alongside these advancements emerges a growing concern over the safety of individuals, especially children and youth, in the online sphere. The specter of online child sexual exploitation looms large, encompassing a myriad of offenses ranging from the transmission of child sexual abuse material to sexting, sextortion, grooming, luring, and live streaming of child sexual abuse. As per the recently released Juristat article titled “Online child sexual exploitation: A statistical profile of police-reported incidents in Canada, 2014 to 2022,” the landscape of online child exploitation in Canada is under scrutiny, revealing unsettling trends and characteristics based on data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.
The statistics paint a chilling picture: from 2014 to 2022, police reported a staggering 15,630 incidents of online sexual offenses against children and a shocking 45,816 incidents of online child pornography. These figures underscore the gravity of the situation and demand urgent attention.
The trajectory of online child sexual exploitation incidents reveals an alarming escalation since 2014. The overall rate of police-reported incidents surged from 50 per 100,000 children and youth in 2014 to a concerning 160 incidents in 2022. Notably, the surge is predominantly attributed to online child pornography offenses, which constituted a whopping three-quarters (75%) of all online child sexual exploitation offenses. The rate of police-reported online child pornography nearly quadrupled from 2014 (32 incidents per 100,000 children and youth) to 2022 (125 incidents).
The causes behind such a drastic surge are manifold and complex. They could signify a genuine increase in these heinous crimes, heightened awareness and reporting among the populace, or enhanced resources and training for law enforcement agencies to detect online child sexual exploitation. More likely, it’s a combination of these factors exacerbating the crisis.
Delving deeper into the statistics, it’s evident that boys and men are overwhelmingly represented as the accused in incidents of online sexual offenses against children. This trend mirrors broader patterns in violent crime, with males accounting for the vast majority of accused persons. For instance, a staggering 97% of invitation to sexual touching incidents, 96% of luring a child incidents, and 90% of possessing or accessing child pornography incidents involved male accused individuals.
Another troubling revelation pertains to the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, a sinister manifestation of online exploitation. From 2015 onwards, over 1,700 incidents of such despicable acts were reported to the police, with youth aged 12 to 17 years comprising almost all (97%) victims, predominantly girls (86%). Shockingly, the perpetrators often shared a close relationship with the victims, with casual acquaintances, current or former dating partners, and friends accounting for the majority of accused-victim relationships.
Moreover, the clearance rates of online sexual offenses against children by law enforcement agencies leave much to be desired. Despite concerted efforts, only 41% of such incidents were cleared by the police from 2014 to 2022. Clearance rates were notably higher for incidents involving multiple violations, with 74% resulting in charges being laid or recommended against the accused. However, challenges persist, with incidents often remaining uncleared due to ongoing investigations or insufficient evidence.
The judicial response to these heinous crimes reveals a sobering reality. From April 2014 to March 2021, Canadian courts grappled with over 30,000 charges related to sexual offenses against children likely committed or facilitated online. In adult criminal courts, only one-third (34%) of charges resulted in a guilty finding, while the majority (63%) were stayed, withdrawn, dismissed, or discharged. Conversely, youth courts saw a relatively higher rate of guilty findings, with 44% of charges leading to convictions. Nonetheless, the judicial system must intensify efforts to ensure justice for the victims and accountability for the perpetrators.
Heightened vigilance, robust law enforcement efforts, enhanced public awareness, and targeted interventions are imperative to safeguarding the innocence and well-being of children and youth in the digital age. Failure to address this scourge effectively not only jeopardizes the safety of the most vulnerable members of society but also undermines the very fabric of our collective humanity.