This publication examines the growing use of the internet to carry out or facilitate the sexual exploitation of women and children, highlighting the challenges posed by the digital environment to prevention, detection, and accountability efforts. It outlines how the unregulated nature of the online space enables perpetrators to access victims and evade law enforcement, while also fostering the normalization of abuse through the wide dissemination of exploitative content. The article advocates for stronger international legal frameworks and internet-specific anti-trafficking measures to address these harms. This publication may be useful to anti-trafficking practitioners seeking to understand the historical evolution and current dynamics of online sexual exploitation, and to inform responses that address the unique features of digital spaces.
Year of Publication: 2010
Author(s): Erin I. Kunze
