Females Who Come to Police Attention for Online Child Sexual Exploitation: An Exploration of Group Characteristics and Recidivism

Despite increased rates of online child sexual exploitation, few studies have examined females who perpetrate these crimes. This thesis has expanded research in the area by examining recidivism outcomes amongst females known for online child sexual offending. It also compared these females to males with online child sexual offences, and females with in-person offences. Females known for online child sexual exploitation had both similarities and differences to other sexual offending groups. This highlights the need to continue investigating this offending group independently, which will in turn allow for more sophisticated mechanisms to enhance children's safety and prevent child sexual offending.