Ottawa (Mar 13) – A new report released by Statistics Canada shows that online child sexual exploitation reported by police almost quadrupled since 2014.
According to the national statistical agency there were 15,630 incidents of online sexual offences against children and 45,816 incidents of online child pornography reported by police in Canada from 2014 to 2022.
Advancements in technology and increased Internet accessibility have provided Canadians with a wide range of opportunities for enhancing daily life. However, these advancements come with increased concerns over the online safety of individuals—particularly children and youth. Specifically, online child sexual exploitation, including the transmission of material related to child sexual abuse, sexting, sextortion, grooming and luring, and live child sexual abuse streaming has been on the rise. For the purposes of this article, children are aged 0 to 11 years and youth are aged 12 to 17 years.
A Juristat article released today, “Online child sexual exploitation: A statistical profile of police-reported incidents in Canada, 2014 to 2022,” presents overall trends and characteristics of online sexual offences against children and online child pornography offences, based on data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.
The overall rate of police-reported online child sexual exploitation incidents—which includes both online sexual offences against children and online child pornography—has risen since 2014, from 50 incidents per 100,000 children and youth in 2014 to 160 incidents in 2022. More specifically, this increase was driven by online child pornography reported to police, which accounted for three-quarters (75%) of all online child sexual exploitation offences. The rate of online child pornography reported to police nearly quadrupled from 2014 (32 incidents per 100,000 children and youth) to 2022 (125).
These significant increases could reflect an actual rise in this type of crime, increased awareness and reporting among the general population or more resources and training for police to better detect online child sexual exploitation—or a combination of these factors.
The survey disaggregates child pornography offences into the specific offences of “accessing or possessing child pornography” and “making or distributing child pornography.” Making or distributing child pornography offences accounted for most (72%) child pornography incidents from 2014 to 2022.
Like trends in violent crime overall, especially sexual offences, boys and men accounted for the vast majority of accused persons in incidents of online sexual offences against children from 2014 to 2022. Notably, most incidents of invitation to sexual touching (97%), luring a child (96%) and possessing or accessing child pornography (90%) involved a male accused.
From 2015 (when non-consensual distribution of intimate images became an offence) to 2022, there were more than 1,700 incidents of non-consensual distribution of intimate images of children and youth reported to police. Youth aged 12 to 17 years accounted for almost all (97%) victims, with the large majority (86%) of victims being girls.
Most persons accused of this offence were similar in age to the victim. Specifically, from 2015 to 2022, the median age of victims was 15 years for girls and 14 years for boys, while the median age of accused persons for this offence was 15 years for boys and 14 years for girls.
Furthermore, most victims of this offence knew their perpetrator. The most common accused-victim relationships from 2015 to 2022 were casual acquaintances (33%), current or former dating partners (28%) and friends (21%). Victims were far less likely to have been victimized by a stranger (14%).
From 2015 to 2022, girls and women represented one-quarter (25%) of persons accused in incidents of non-consensual distribution of intimate images, with almost all (95%) being aged 12 to 17 years.
From April 2014 to March 2021, criminal courts in Canada processed more than 30,000 charges related to sexual offences against children likely committed or facilitated online. In adult criminal court, around one-third (34%) of charges laid for sexual offences against children likely committed online resulted in a guilty finding, while just over 6 in 10 charges (63%) were stayed, withdrawn, dismissed or discharged. More than three-quarters (78%) of guilty cases in adult court led to a custodial sentence.
In contrast, from April 2014 to March 2021, 44% of charges in youth court led to a guilty finding. Youth found guilty of committing an online sexual offence against children were most likely to be sentenced to probation (62%).
