The global accessibility of the Internet has broadened the opportunities for crime, and perceptions of lawlessness may contribute to online offending. Lawless Space Theory (LST) conceptualizes the Internet as an ecological niche with reduced capable guardianship and greater tolerance for crime. To assess LST, we compared scores on a six-item scale across three uniquely informative samples: (1) an online convenience sample (N = 2,764; 53% female), (2) professionals with expertise in darknet-related child sexual abuse investigations (N = 61; 57% female), and (3) men under probation for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) offences (N = 60). This rare combination of general population, subject-matter experts, and convicted individuals provides broad perspectives on digital lawlessness. A second online study (N = 9,944; 19% female) further explored one LST facet—the perceived ease of finding illegal goods and services online versus offline. Findings suggest that lawless space perception varies between countries and online populations and may inform online crime prevention efforts.

The motivation-facilitation model of sexual offending underscores that beyond pedophilic attraction, various other factors contribute to the heightened risk of child sexual victimization, particularly in online contexts. This study shifts focus to an underexplored, high-risk demographic: users of Darknet forums that host child sexual abuse material (CSAM). We surveyed a sample of N = 4,454 individuals (88% male) from a Darknet CSAM forum to investigate a wide range of potential risk factors for child sexual abusive behaviors (CSAB). Our survey examined the relationships between self-reported online and offline CSAB, direct self-report and indirect viewing time measures of sexual interest in both children and adults, as well as a comprehensive list of self-reported personal characteristics that have been related to offending risk in the literature. Viewing time assessment was based on a new image set, featuring children and adults of various skin tones that have been generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence. Our results revealed particularly high sexual preferences for children within this at-risk population. In addition, a number of other incrementally valid risk factors were identified through multivariate statistical analyses. We discuss the new image set as well as the other findings in the context of strategies for CSAB prevention highlighting the functionality of the internet for CSAM use in this hard-to-reach group of Darknet users.

Most research on online child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSAM) relies on forensic samples from WEIRD societies, limiting both theoretical development and prevention strategies. To addresses this gap, we conducted a large, cross-national online survey (N = 7,859) across six of the world’s top Pornhub-using countries— Brazil, France, Mexico, Philippines, South Africa, and the United States—and includes three distinct groups: (1) general community participants, (2) help-seeking individuals concerned about their sexual behaviours, and (3) darknet users from a CSAM page. We extended conventional risk models by incorporating additional, understudied factors such as curiosity, desensitization to legal pornography, and perceived anonymity. These variables often are reported by individuals using CSAM but are largely absent from established frameworks. Multiple regression analyses identified significant predictors of self-reported CSAM propensity, while a person-centered cluster analysis revealed five distinct psychological profiles, each representing unique risk constellations. These findings provide an empirical foundation for designing targeted deterrence messages for deployment on Internet platforms. Our findings offer a culturally inclusive and psychologically nuanced contribution to upstream prevention of online sexual offending.

Sexual interest in children and antisociality are important risk factors for (re)offending sexually against children. We investigated the differences of several subtypes of persons convicted of sexual offenses against children regarding these risk factors. The sample included N = 516 men who were divided into subtypes based on their offense profile: using of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), contact offenses against extrafamilial or intrafamilial victims, mixed offenses, and other offenses. Sexual Interest was measured with the Explicit and Implicit Sexual Interest Profile (EISIP), which combines self-report, viewing time (VT) measures, and Implicit Association Tests (IATs). Men with mixed offenses had the highest EISIP scores, indicating higher sexual interest in children, while participants with intrafamilial victims or other offenses had the lowest scores. Individuals with CSAM convictions had very heterogenic scores. With regard to indicators of antisociality, participants with CSAM convictions had higher scores than participants who had committed contact offenses. Our results support the distinction of people convicted of sexual offenses against children into subtypes. The scores of CSAM offenders in both risk factors contradict previous theoretical considerations and are discussed.