Online child pornography: The ongoing sexual abuse of a child
“Look into the eyes of a child who has been sexually abused and you’ll see pain, a pain that endures long after the bruises have healed. This pain is compounded by child molesters who create images of the sexual abuse and share them with other child molesters. They trade them in chat rooms and post them on thousands of websites. These people are making money from the pain of children” (Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association, 2007).
The dark web: The wild west of the Internet
“If you want to kill someone, or to beat the s*#t out of him, we are the right guys,” the Besa Mafia site, on the dark web, reads. In February 2016, a user with the username “dogdaygod” contacted the site as he wanted Amy Allwine dead and wanted to make it look like a vehicle accident.
Online child sexual abuse: the impact on victims
Every child involved in the production of a child pornographic image is a victim of sexual abuse. In the majority of online child sexual abuse cases, the abuse is not a one-time event, but rather ongoing victimisation that continues for months or even years.
The dark web: The vein feeding terrorist activities
Terrorists and extremists have set up shop on the Internet: to recruit new members, spread their ideologies, and plan and coordinate activities across the world. The Internet provides a convenient platform for these groups to connect with like-minded individuals across the globe and amplify their messages.
