How do people use the Internet to sexually abuse children?
Some abusers find their victims on the Internet. They use chat rooms or websites to meet children and gain their trust. Then they may exchange sexual messages or pictures with their victims, or arrange face-to-face meetings to abuse them. Abusers who exploit children through prostitution or pornography sometimes use the Internet to find other abusers who will use their services. They also use the Internet to find children to abuse through prostitution or pornography. Some abusers use the Internet to meet other abusers. They share their views about child sexual abuse, ideas about how to find and abuse children, information about specific victims, or suggestions about how to avoid being caught or punished for their crimes. How many children are victims of sexual abuse? Statistics suggest that as many as one child in every three or four in the United States becomes the victim of sexual abuse by the time he or she reaches the age of 18. At least 25% of adults were victims of child sexual a
