Combating the Live-Streaming of Child Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation: A Need for New Legislation

Abstract

Ensuring online child protection from sexual abuse and exploitation from child predators has become a major topic of concern on many societies. The global characteristics of the Internet have influenced in the globalization of potential risks of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children as well. Internet allows abusers to operate globally without regard to borders. Furthermore, online sexual abuse and exploitation of children involves a variety of crime types, ranging from child pornography, sexting and sextortion to online grooming, and live-web streaming of child abuse. This chapter focuses on the phenomenon of online live-streaming of child sexual abuse (CSA) as the newest form of child sexual exploitation created as a result of technological developments and the least studied phenomenon created from the wide opportunities that Internet offers to malicious users. It is argued that the current existing legislation is not sufficient to tackle the phenomenon of live-streaming of child abuse. Additional legislation is required, especially in national laws, which would specifically address the offence of live-streaming of child abuse.