Perspective Chapter: Sexual Cybercrime – The Transition from the Virtual Aggression to the Physical Aggression

Abstract

Cybercrime is all criminal offenses committed on telecommunications networks in general and more particularly on the Internet. Sexual cybercrime promotes the transition from virtual sexual assault to physical or bodily assault, the victims of which are often women and children through intimidation and harassment as well as the absence of consent. The damage caused by the cybersex crime of the victims can lead to serious repercussions on their physical and mental health. The obligation of the fight against this social scourge has imposed its analysis on several ways to generate the means of protection because it is the only way to preserve our families and our children particularly from being victims of sexual cybercrime.

1. Introduction

Cybercrime is a polymorphic concept that can concern classic offenses committed through digital technologies, as well as new offenses, born from the very essence of computing. it concerns all the criminal offenses committed on telecommunications networks in general and more particularly on the Internet, such a space known by the importance of the use of social networks by Internet users whose object is to carry out communications, share information, and develop private and professional relationships.

Several types of cybercrime have been counted and promote the transition from virtual sexual assault to physical or bodily assault, the victims of which are often women. In addition, the child, in the absence of consent, can be a target of cyber predators or even an object of sexual abuse and pornographic exploitation.

The psychological damage caused by psychotrauma due to sexual cybercrime isolated or associated with physical bodily aggression can manifest itself in serious psychological or even psychiatric disorders on the health of the victims.

The obligation to fight against this social scourge has imposed its analysis in order to seek means of prevention and protection of victims through the development of cyber security and the creation of legislative texts devoted to the protection of sexual cybercrime.

2. The concept of cybercrime

2.1 The cyberspace

Cyberspace is a domain where data is stored, changed, and exchanged via physical infrastructures connected to networks and systems and the electromagnetic and electronic spectrum. The Internet is a vast, unending area known as cyberspace. You can think of computer transactions as taking place in space, especially when they happen between various computers. Cyberspace is where text and images on the Internet exist. The phrase serves as a moniker for the made-up space in which a virtual object lives when used in connection with virtual reality. A building is considered to be in cyberspace if a computer generates a picture of it that enables the architect to virtually “walk in” and assess the nature of a design. An organized criminal attack on cyberspace and cyber security is known as cybercrime. Cybercrime, such as hacking into computers, can be committed through a network system, clicking on strange links, connecting to unauthorized WiFi, downloading software and files from dubious websites, consuming energy, emitting electromagnetic radiation, and other methods [1].

The National Security Presidential Directive (NSPD), published on January 9, 2008, Cyberspace is described as “the interdependent network of information technology infrastructures, including the Internet, telecommunications networks, computer systems, and embedded processors and controllers in critical industries” in the National Security Presidential Directive (NSPD), which was released on January 9, 2008. However, there is not a single definition of cyberspace in place right now. Cyberspace can be viewed as both a collection of all information systems and as the information environment in which people live in the information age. It is therefore preferable to think of cyberspace as both an information space and a network space. The first conception emphasizes the fundamental quality of information, while the second emphasizes the crucial component of network-based interconnectedness [2].

2.2 The cybercrime

The word “cybercriminal” sounds like it should be used to describe a character from a William Gibson novel, but these individuals are all too real and regularly cause havoc in our increasingly online society. In order to combat the growing use of the Internet for criminal activity, the government announced a £25 million program in April 2001 that included the establishment of a National High-Tech Crime Unit. With 43% of the population labeling cybercrime as a “concern,” the internet world is becoming more open to criminal activities [3].

At an organizational level, there are differences globally in cybercrime definitions. Additionally, some organizations do not even define cybercrime. For instance, there is no official definition of cybercrime provided by the U.S. government, making it impossible to distinguish it from other common criminal offenses or other types of cyberthreats [4].

For the council of Europe cybercrime convention, cybercrime is defined as action directed against the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer systems, networks and computer data as well as the misuse of such systems, networks, and data by providing for the criminalization of such conduct [5].

Cybercrime is a term used to describe criminal activity in which computers or computer networks are utilized as a tool and in the commission of the crime. The prevalence of online crime has increased as the PC has become essential to business, government, and entertainment. The three main components of computer crime are unauthorized access to computer systems, information alteration, and theft of protected intellectual property. Cybercrime encompasses a wide range of profit-driven criminal activity, including identity theft, email and internet fraud, efforts to steal financial accounts, and data theft from businesses. Cybercriminals employ a variety of methods to carry out cyberattacks and are constantly looking for new methods and talents to master without being concerned about being detained or arrested. Malware infection of systems and networks is a technique used to harm installed software or data. Cybercriminals also try to target websites in an effort to alter or remove information, gain unauthorized access to, or modify databases. Cybercrime also frequently takes the form of illegal gaming, the sale of illegal goods including narcotics and firearms, and the creation, possession, or dissemination of child pornography. It might also involve the illicit global use of remote technologies to steal corporate or governmental secrets. Additionally, cybercrime includes anything from downloading unlawful music to stealing money from online bank accounts [6].

2.3 The classification of cybercrime

The Wall three-category classification system was one of the first reported in academic literature and is therefore often cited. However, the two-category classification system (“cyber-enabled” vs. “cyber-dependent” crime) is the most widely used having been adopted by both researchers and policymakers. Wall’s classification scheme, therefore, makes a distinction between [7]:

• “Crimes against the machine,” also known as computer integrity crimes, for example, hacking, cracking, and Denial of Service (DoS)/Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS);

• “Crimes using the machine,” also known as computer-assisted crimes, for example, piracy, robberies, and scams;

• “Crimes in the machine,” also known as computer content crimes, for example, online hate, harassment, and pornography.

Cybercrime is categorized as follows [8].

2.3.1 Crimes against money

Since the advent of the Internet, most commercial transactions are carried out through this network, such as buying and selling. In the midst of this financial trading, some criminals took advantage of the opportunity to seize them through theft of credit card numbers, illegal electronic transfer of funds, gambling and money laundering, theft and robbery of bank funds, in addition to drug dealing via the Internet.

Financial crimes include a variety of Internet fraud based on so-called “phishing,” as well as “Social Engineering” aimed directly at users as well as businesses. This type of fraud also includes what corrupt employees of financial institutions do by entering wrong data or unauthorized instructions or using unauthorized operations with the aim of stealing, as well as modifying or deleting stored data, or misusing existing system tools, software packages or writing code for fraud purposes.

2.3.2 Crimes against persons

Among the most important of these crimes are:

• The crime of threatening, harassment, and persecution by instilling fear in the soul by pressing the will of the person and intimidating him, as if the perpetrator sends an email to the victim containing frightening and horrific phrases.

• Impersonation, deception, and lure, where the criminal intends to impersonate another person to take advantage of his reputation, for example, his money, his powers, or his influence.

• The manufacture and dissemination of pornography through sites that incite sex for adults and children alike, and these sites publish explicit sexual images of adults and children that can be circulated through various electronic media. The sexual exploitation of children on the Internet takes many forms, from pictures to video recordings of violent sexual crimes.

• Offenses of slander, cursing, and defamation, which are used to harm the honor or dignity and consideration of others. Insults and slander are done through direct lines of communication or be in writing.

2.3.3 Crimes against states

The most notable are:

• Terrorism: At the present time, it has become a global cross-border phenomenon, and the culture of terrorism is broadcast electronically by establishing virtual sites that represent terrorist organizations. Through these sites, they announce their responsibility for one of the attacks that were committed or statements denying that. Terrorist groups also recruit terrorist elements through the Internet. New technologies help them carry out their criminal acts, in addition to publishing visual materials depicting the detention or assassination of the kidnappers.

• Organized crime: This is done where organized crime gangs exploit the available electronic capabilities in planning, passing, and directing criminal schemes and executing and directing criminal operations easily.

• Espionage: In this case, it is intended to see information about the unsecured in another electronic device, and it is not allowed for those who are not authorized to view it, as criminals spy on people, countries, organizations, bodies, or international or national institutions. The espionage crime also includes military espionage, political espionage, and economic espionage.

2.3.4 Crimes against intellectual security

It is through the Internet and various electronic media, cultural, and civilizational attacks that may destabilize the intellectual security of oppressed peoples, and through which the dominant forces spread their thought, language, and values (electronic cultural invasion).

• Electronic warfare: It is already a war between many countries, but through computers and Internet networks, the most prominent example of which was the attack on the infrastructure in Estonia in 2007 by what are believed to be Russian hackers. Analysts believe that this type of attack may become the norm in future wars between countries, where electronic armies will form with the goal of penetrating other countries and destroying their infrastructure, and military leaders may be assigned to lead such wars in the future, and among the most prominent examples of which are currently pirate groups which are called “Syrian Electronic Army,” “Iranian Electronic Army,” and “Chinese People’s Liberation Army Unit” . What can be pointed out is that there are security risks to which information systems are exposed, most notably, viruses, piracy, data fraud, and their use.

According to the 21st note from the National Observatory of Delinquency and Criminal Responses on cybercrime and offenses related to the fraudulent use of the Internet in 2016, Cybercrime can be defined as a set of offenses likely to be committed or facilitated through the use of a computer system, usually connected to a network. Thus defined, it can refer to a wide variety of offenses. Lighting them requires distinguishing between [9]:

• Offenses related to information systems and automated data processing systems originating from the development of computer networks and in particular the Internet. This type of offense means, for example, the alteration of a system, the attack by denial of service, etc.

• Offenses related to “traditional” forms of crime, which may have evolved with new information and communication technologies or been facilitated by them, and therefore constitute a new vector of crime. This second category contains several varieties, including:

• Forms of scams that have emerged with the use of the Internet (fraudulent use of credit cards online, phishing, etc.).

• Threats and insults of any kind disseminated via new means of electronic communication (messaging, forums, social networks, etc.).

• The dissemination of child pornography images facilitated by new communication networks and the Internet.

3. The sexual cybercrime

3.1 Cyberstalking

Cyberstalking is the practice of unwelcome online communication that is persistent. It may involve a variety of incidents, including threats, libel, slander, sexual harassment, or other attempts to intimidate, control, or deceive their victim. A person being stalked online could also be physically followed. It is prohibited in many states and countries, and anyone caught doing it faces criminal prosecution under laws against harassment and stalking or as a designated offense [10].

Cyberstalking has been defined as “the repeated use of the Internet, email, or related digital electronic communication devices to annoy, alarm, or threaten a specific individual.” Although some authors, like Bocij et al., describe it as “a totally new form of deviant behavior,” it is typically seen as a continuation of more common stalking behaviors that can be carried out through physical presence, telephone, and mail. Perhaps, when viewed objectively, cyberstalking should be seen as a fresh variation on a well-established pattern of criminal behavior, with both similarities and differences to its “terrestrial” cousin. Various commentators, including Koch and Best, have stated that cyberstalking is a “trivial,” “rare,” or even totally “imaginary” problem. Others, however, contend that internet stalking is becoming more prevalent and that it also has major implications and repercussions for individuals who become victims of it. Because there are relatively few systematic and accurate data from large-scale research, determining the magnitude of cyberstalking occurrences is challenging. We encounter further methodological issues when we consider the various definitions of cyberstalking employed by different analysts, which makes it challenging to cross-compare or aggregate data from multiple analysts. The view of Bocij and McFarlane is more constrained than that of D’Ovidio and Doyle, which covers behaviors that just “annoy,” leaving aside the issue of who counts as “reasonable.” Therefore, while analyzing the data that is currently accessible, we cannot always be convinced that various measurements of cyberstalking activities are founded upon the same or similar notions of what constitutes appropriate behavior. Nevertheless, we can take note of analyses and projections that provide a general sense of how pervasive a cyberstalking problem may actually be [11].

The Internet gives stalkers the chance to bother their targets while pretending to be anonymous. “The repeated use of the Internet, email, or related digital electronic communication means to annoy, scare, or threaten a particular individual or group of individuals” is the definition of cyberstalking. All 50 States and the federal government have passed laws intended to protect victims of cyberstalking since this crime has grown so pervasive. In a study WHO analyze 201 closed cases of aggravated harassment between January 1996 and August 2000 that were investigated by the New York Police Department’s Computer Investigation and Technology Unit (CITU). The majority of the offenders in these cases were men (80%), 74% of whom were White, 13% Asian, 8% Hispanic, and 5% Black. Although 26% of these offenders were minors, the average age of the cyberstalkers was 24. Females made up 52% of the victims of cyberstalking, although many of the targets were institutions including universities, businesses, and government organizations. The victims comprised 85% White people, 6% Asian people, 5% Black people, and 4% Hispanic people. The victims were 32 on average. The majority of cases (92%) solely employed one type of technology. In 79% of the cases, email was utilized, and in 13% of the cases, instant messaging was used. The difficulties that law enforcement encounters while handling cyberstalking cases are also covered by the authors. The two biggest obstacles to obtaining account data and user information from Internet service providers are stated as jurisdictional problems and privacy problems. The growing use of technology and the anonymity of cyberstalking will probably continue to drive up the rate of this kind of crime [12].

How technology is misused in cases of sexual assault, cyberbullying, or stalking, as well as domestic violence Here is a research scenario that uses specific abuse strategies and dynamics to show how abusers exert power and influence over victims, particularly women [13]:

Sentimental or meaty abuse: Situations that put down the use of technology may develop into this form of abuse. Using technology to portray you as dependent on it or as a threat.

Disjunction: The abuser discovers the victim’s secret location. Use technology to ruin both your personal and professional reputation. Unwanted emails or texts tend to be abusive or pornographic in nature.

Criminal force or threat: The abuser discovers the victim’s secret location. Use technology to ruin both your personal and professional reputation. Unwanted emails or texts tend to be abusive or pornographic in nature.

Abusage in the context of profitability: This type of abuse is happening more frequently by impersonating or following profitable online financial accounts. By impersonating fraudulent activity, it can lower your credit and loan ratings.

Using advantage and unjust treatment: By seeming to be something to make you feel foolish, incapable of understanding things readily, or wary of technology, it performs a very important function.

Taking advantage of others: This abuse can be used as an optional category by preying on others, such as children, friends, or family members, to annoy them and set up devices to obtain information about their account information through the use of technology.

Stalking or bullying and Intimidating: And finally, one type of abuse involves employing technology to observe or report. Diminishing technology or referring to gadgets by secretly altering information or device settings Constant contact with you could be another form of abuse that is minimized, denied, or blamed.

3.2 Child sexual abuse material

In the official INHOPE website specializing in child protection, it is mentioned that Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) has different legal definitions in different countries. The minimum defines CSAM as imagery or videos which show a person who is a child and engaged in or is depicted as being engaged in explicit sexual activity.

Sometimes CSAM is referred to as child pornography. However, the term “child pornography” should be avoided for the following reasons:

The term child pornography fails to convey the content’s true nature and downplays how serious the abuse is from the child’s point of view.

The term “pornography” is typically used to refer to content that is distributed for the aim of evoking sexual pleasure and showing consenting persons in sexual activity. Using this phrase in relation to kids has the risk of normalizing, trivializing, and even legitimizing child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Kid pornography implies consent, which a child is unable to offer in a legal sense. The term child pornography is still used in legislation in some countries. For this reason, CSAM is sometimes referred to as child pornography for legal purposes. In non-legal contexts, such as in media publications, the term Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) should be used.

One of the issues that cause disagreement is the age of consent to sexual relations. For this reason, the age at which an individual is considered a child differs from country to country.

Legislation also differs in regard to images of children who have been instructed to pose in sexualised ways. In many countries, images and videos of children who are completely or partially undressed and in sexualized poses, and images which are focused on children’s sexual organs are also illegal and should be reported to your national hotline. A further area where legislation differs is whether an actual child has to be depicted in the image, or whether artificially created images constitute CSAM. The legal sanctions for production, distribution, and possession of CSAM also differ from country to country [14].

Child sexual abuse material is obtained and shared in several ways:

• The sexual abuse of a child is caught on camera by the predator, who subsequently uploads or spreads it online.

• Through an app or service on a connected device, a predator makes contact with a youngster and tricks or coerces them into creating and distributing sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves. This is encouraged by predators who manipulate and threaten children while “grooming” them to trust them. A predator shares images or videos of children “stolen” from social media accounts.

Online child sex abuse material is sold all over the world and is repulsive. Demand for fresh and more violent material is increased every time a picture or video of a child being molested is uploaded or spread [15].

3.3 Sexual solicitation

The Internet provides young persons with abundant possibilities while also increasing their exposure to risks, such as being solicited for sexual purposes. Online sexual solicitation concerns acts “of encouraging someone to talk about sex, to do something sexual, or to share personal sexual information.” The effects on victims have been shown to include anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and developmental disruption.

The Internet is an integral part of everyday life activities. The upsurge of routine Internet use among youth affords solicitation offenders an unlimited source of potential victims at any time or place, while capable guardians are often lacking online. As routine activity theory postulates, crime rates increase when suitable targets, absent guardians, and motivated offenders converge. This has been applied effectively to various forms of cybercrime, such as fraud or bullying. Plausibly, the Internet may also provide an ideal criminogenic context for sexual solicitation of minors [16].

3.4 Sextortion

Sextortion is actually defined differently by different people. There are two widely used definitions of sextortion: (1) sextortion is when a perpetrator threatens to share a victim’s private sexual images in order to extort something from them or (2) sextortion is when a victim is coerced into sending sexual material to the perpetrator, either through the threat of sharing private sexual images or some other threat of harm. Depending on whether the culprit must genuinely own the photographs or can only claim to own the images, the initial view can have a different scope. Scholars, the media, and the general public occasionally mix up sextortion and revenge porn, but even though these crimes are frequently associated, they must be distinguished from one another. The nonconsensual sharing of a victim’s pornographic material is known as “revenge porn,” a term that is less widely used but more appropriately described as “nonconsensual porn.” Because sextortion frequently involves the threat of retaliatory pornography against a victim unless they comply with demands made of them, this relationship between the two crimes contributes to their confusion. Both sextortion and revenge porn are sex-related cybercrimes, however, unlike revenge porn, sextortion relies heavily on coerced quiet to succeed. The goal of sextortion is typically to gain sexual material or money, and the victim’s silence and fear of embarrassment are vital to attaining that goal. Therefore, even if the sextortionist has access to the victim’s private information, they will not necessarily publicize it. In contrast, the goal of revenge porn is to disseminate the victim’s sexually explicit content, and the victim’s silence does not significantly hinder this goal from being accomplished [17].

3.5 Grooming

According to the definition of child sexual grooming, it is “a communication process by which a perpetrator uses affinity seeking strategies, while concurrently engaging in sexual desensitization and gathering information about targeted victims with the aim to develop relationships that result in need fulfillment, such as physical sexual solicitation.” Therefore, the labels “pedophile” or “sexual predator” are frequently used to refer to such individuals [18].

Grooming, or pedotrapage, refers to the solicitation of children for sexual purposes by a stranger or an acquaintance, its psychological manipulation. If this practice occurs mainly on the Internet, it can also take place in everyday life. Concretely, the offender will first do everything to put the child in trust to create an emotional relation with him. He will make sure to gradually separate him from his family and friends in order to create a feeling of dependence in him. Grooming can take different forms. It generally results in the purchase of gifts, compliments, the sharing of secrets, a benevolent listening. In a way, the offender takes on the role of “protector.” If the attack takes place online, the offender may ask the child for pornographic photos, including pretending to be someone his own age and he can use these to blackmail him or to distribute them on the Internet. The offender does not always intend to meet the young person in person to “take action.” The problem is that the child is not aware of the harmful nature of this relationship [19].

3.6 Cybersex trafficing

The live online sexual exploitation of children is known as “cybersex trafficking.” Nowadays, predators and pedophiles can conduct searches online and wire a secure payment to an adult who organizes the event. Children as young as 2 years old are subjected to maltreatment or forced to engage in sex activities in front of webcams. The customer pays more the more abusive the show is. Cybersex trafficking victims can be relocated to and mistreated everywhere there is an internet connection, a webcam, or even just a cell phone, unlike victims of bars or brothels with a fixed address. Trafficking in virtual sex has developed into a lucrative cottage industry that is frightening [20].

3.7 Cybersex tourism

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, “trips organized from within the sector, or from outside this sector but using its structures and networks with the primary purpose of effecting a commercial sexual relationship by the tourist with the residents at the destination,” are considered sex tourism. As a result, sex tourism is an activity that involves people traveling domestically and internationally to engage in sexual activity that is both against the law and unethical for them. Sex tourism is regarded as one of the top five largest illicit and criminal activity-involved enterprises in the world. Sex tourism includes both human trafficking, including the sale of men, women, and even children, in addition to travel arrangements made particularly for sex or novel sexual encounters for clients. Involvement in forced labor and commercial sexual servitude affects over 20.9 million people and children globally [21].

Growingly more people are using the Internet, which has made it easier to exploit minors live via new technology. The International Union of the United Nations Telecommunications predicts that by the end of 2014, there will be 3 billion Internet users, with two-thirds coming from poorer nations. New behaviors are produced by these technological advancements, such as webcam child sex tourism (WCST). Additionally, globalization has boosted cross-cultural interactions, uniting many communities. Another element that encourages child commercial sexual exploitation is poverty. Due to the financial crisis, many people have turned to being exploited or becoming exploiters in order to make money. Financially unstable times also result in court system instability, which breeds corruption and makes it more challenging to bring offenders to justice [22].

3.8 Sexting

Sexting has developed as a result of the easy accessibility of mobile communication technology and the rise in internet usage. Using mobile devices or the Internet to send or upload sexually explicit text messages and images, including nude or semi-naked photos, is known as sexting. When the photographs from “sexting” are released without the victim’s knowledge, it becomes an issue and is considered a kind of cybercrime. This may occur by “hacking,” in which the photographs are taken from the intended recipient without their permission, or it may occur when the intended receiver shares the images (with friends, on internet forums, etc.) without the sender’s knowledge. Senders may be ignorant that their photographs may be distributed, or a previously trusted recipient may be unworthy of that trust (e.g., an ex-partner who shares images; this is commonly referred to as “revenge pornography”). According to research, women only typically send sexual photographs in the context of relationships where there is trust; as a result, the sender has little reason to believe that the images will be shared without their knowledge at the time they are sent. However, because the photographs uploaded online are permanent, the damage is ongoing and intensified. Even if the original pictures or movies are taken down, duplicates may still exist and be shared forever. Since the victim’s reputation could be permanently damaged on both a personal and professional level, the long-term effects of such a crime may be much more detrimental than they were intended to be [23].

4. The transition from sexual cybercrime to physical assault

Sexual, psychological, or emotional abuse of women online is also common. It has the ability to cause abuse and violence offline, as well as bodily harm. The same tendencies exist both online and offline; for instance, technology makes intimate partner violence more prevalent online. Because of this, it is impossible to separate online abuse and violence against women from what occurs offline; both online and offline locations can become the scene of such behavior. Women’s abuse and violence online must be considered a form of physical abuse and violence [24].

Cyberviolence can cause enormous damage to victims and often precedes episodes of physical violence or even homicide, especially in the context of separation [25].

Physical violence against women may occur simultaneously with, aggravate, or be caused by cyberviolence. The 23-year-old Pennsylvania guy waited outside her house with a boxcutter and a revolver after his Facebook threats to get his ex-partner to return by posting sexual photographs of her failed. Similarly, a 31-year-old woman in Seattle who was the target of revenge porn while being cyberstalked by her ex-police partner was choked and knocked to the ground during a physical altercation with him. 3.3% of women experienced physical abuse that was made worse by online violence, whereas 5% of women suffered bodily hurt and abuse as a result of online violence. A significant percentage of women (12%) also mentioned getting sick physically as a result of violence [26].

An example of cyberbullying which was represented by the newspaper named Le Parisien which reports the suffering of a young girl from the suburbs of Rouen (Seine-Maritime) on the verge of suicide who had filed a complaint in November 2015 against an Internet user who demanded a sexual relationship her under penalty of sharing on the Internet all her photos if she refuses his request [27].

So cybersex crime can go from harassment on the internet to the risk of real sexual assault, especially if the victim does not file a complaint against the cyber offender and submits to his demands. The very vulnerable position of the victim is explained by the fact of the feeling of shame and fear.

Blackmail, in particular through cyber-harassment, can be considered an aggravating circumstance of physical or sexual assault.

Children who have WCST may suffer exceedingly dire outcomes. First off, victims of sexual abuse and assault may experience a wide range of physical consequences, including genital injury, deformities, unintended pregnancies, and an increased risk of catching the AIDS virus. Even when there is no direct interaction between the abuser and the victim in TSW, the child may nonetheless experience abuse from middlemen. Sexual abuse can also result in a variety of psychological problems. Indicators of hostility, anxiety, and depression are seen in children from WCST. The psychological effects of sexual abuse may also include remorse, anxiety, and low self-esteem. As a result of these long-lasting psychological impacts, which may also result in nightmares, suicidal, anorexic, or other physically dangerous inclinations, the child’s health will be permanently impacted. Additionally, photos of child pornography created and spread by modern technologies never fully vanish from the Internet, which has especially negative effects on the child because there may be a sensation of abuse with each new viewing. In terms of their social development, children who have trouble trusting adults run the danger of isolating themselves or acting aggressively, which hinders their ability to build relationships with others. In order for governments to effectively address emerging problems like WCST, the reintegration of juvenile victims of commercial sexual exploitation must continue to be a top priority [22].

Sex tourism leads in both the infringement of human rights and freedoms as well as the exploitation of people. On a national and worldwide scale, studies have shown that sex tourism contributes to the spread of teen pregnancy as well as the so-called sexually transmitted illnesses. The development of mental and emotional illnesses in its victims, such as substance misuse, depression, and suicide, is also attributed to sex tourism [21].

A technique known as grooming involves an adult purposefully approaching kids and controlling them for sex. The groomers try to establish a relationship of trust with the child by showing interest, giving compliments in order to gradually lead him to questions and acts with a sexual connotation. Grooming can lead to sexual violence online (via webcam, chat, email, etc.) or in real life (via physical encounter). In addition, the groomer can create or spread images, which makes the child again a victim. In this setting, the culprit tries to limit his own risks by revealing as little as possible about himself. He also encourages the child not to talk about their friendship under the guise of “our little secret” [28]. The purpose of the physical encounter is not necessarily immediate sexual contact, but sometimes it requires a new period of socialization before the criminal act [29].

Another consequence, once the predator and the child have formed a bond, the predator may start introducing the youngster to pornography and then recommend taking pictures of the child in a sexually suggestive position. This procedure aims to desensitize the child to nudity, pique their interest in sex, and normalize adult–child sexual interactions [30].

In an odd instance, the accuser was found guilty of rape without physical contact after coercing a 15-year-old girl into engaging in sexual self-penetration. Without any consent during a webcam conversation, after he threatened to spread compromising photos. The presiding judge in the case considered such an act of raping, stating that even though there was no physical contact. There was no consent and he manipulated the youngster through real blackmail, so he forced her to digitally penetrate herself [31].

A study on forensic intelligence-led prevention of drug-facilitated sexual assaults applies information from both criminology and forensic science, and it encourages interdisciplinary discussion between the two fields. These days, there are not many initiatives that support this interdisciplinary conversation between forensic science and criminology. This framework serves two purposes: it may be used as a research tool to gather forensic and criminological data in order to comprehend a criminal phenomenon and it can serve as a platform for strategic thought and action in order to combat it. In a similar vein, additional approaches suggested for promoting interdisciplinary interaction between forensic science and criminology also collect and evaluate pertinent data from both fields regarding a particular crime occurrence to later produce well-targeted, evidence-based preventive measures [32].

Finally, in my opinion as a forensic pathologist, it emerges from this general analysis that cybercrime against people, particularly of a sexual nature, has a major impact on the real lives of victims, whether through physical aggression at the origin of bodily injuries, sexual assault or even disabling psychological damage or sexually transmitted diseases. the transition from online virtual aggression to aggression in real life is obvious and the risk is major especially if the victim is a child because he does not have the consent nor the discernment to judge his relationships and the extent of the risks of his environment. Cybersex crimes attract victims to lose their decision-making control because of the shame and harassing pressure imposed by the aggressor and they can responding to the claims of the aggressors or entering into a conflict that generates violence and physical harm to the victims. Moreover, in order to combat the phenomenon of sexual cybercrime, a partnership between forensic medicine and cybersecurity is urgently advised.

5. Conclusion

Sexual cybercrime is a scourge that can ravage our society if we do not react against crime in cyber space and particularly against cybersex crime, which mainly targets young women and children.

The transition from the virtual form of sexual cybercrime to the form of real physical (bodily and psychological) assault is often a predictable and very dangerous development with serious harm to the victims.

The obligation to fight against this social scourge has imposed the development of cyber security as well as the establishment of legislative texts devoted to the protection of cybercrime and particularly of the sexual type.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.