While sextortion cases are on the rise, our scientific knowledge of the individuals who perpetrate these offenses is limited. As part of an effort to improve our understanding of this type of offending, Wang and Pei conducted the first quantitative study of sextortion cases.

Summary

The authors analyzed 111 sextortion cases that were tried in the Federal System that had information openly available from the Department of Justice. They conducted a factor analysis based on this data. The data fell into four clusters which the authors identified as the following types of offenders: Adult-Focused Financial Sextortion, Minor-Focused CSAM Sextortion, Minor-Focused Tech-Facilitated Sextortion and Adult-Focused Tech-Escalating Hybrid Sextortion.

Reference

The post Sextortion Offenders: Typologies first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

Overview

The proliferation of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is fundamentally transforming the landscape of Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM).

Traditionally predicated on the physical abuse of a child, CSEM offending is shifting toward the creation of high-resolution, synthetic imagery through local, offline generation. This evolution presents significant challenges across the investigative, forensic, and legal spectrums.

Key findings include the emergence of new offender categories, specifically minors using AI for non-consensual “nudification,” and the inadequacy of current digital forensic tools and legal statutes to address synthetic content.

To maintain the integrity of child protection efforts, law enforcement and the legal system must adapt to these technological affordances through updated typologies, specialized training, and modernized legislation that addresses the unique nature of AI-generated content. 

Summary

Current Generative Artificial Intelligence Affordances in CSEM Offending 

Generative AI offers offenders novel capabilities that bypass traditional barriers to content acquisition and creation. These affordances include: 

Reference

The post CSEM, Generative Artificial Intelligence, and the Law first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

Overview

CSAM Offending meta-analysis (2025) updates recidivism rates: low official reoffense, higher self-report, and key CSAM-only vs mixed differences.

Summary

Prediction of recidivism is a key component of most psychosexual evaluations and risk assessments. Given the lack of solid validated actuarial risk assessment measures for Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) offending, evaluators often rely on what the scientific data says about recidivism rates. The consensus thus far is that the recidivism rates for CSAM only offending is

Reference

---

Continue exploring Mitigation Aide for the information on mental health necessary to ensure your clients are treated fairly in the criminal justice system.

The post CSAM Offending: A New Meta-Analysis first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

Overview

This briefing document summarizes key findings from “Accessing child sexual abuse material: Pathways to offending and online behaviour” by Wortley et al. (2024). The research, based on a self-report questionnaire of 75 male CSAM offenders in a community-based treatment program, offers critical insights into how individuals become involved with CSAM, their online behaviors, and factors influencing their offending.

Summary

I. Pathways to CSAM Offending

The study reveals a progressive and often inadvertent entry into CSAM offending.

• Inadvertent Exposure and Curiosity:

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  Reference

  SOURCE RESEARCH

  Accessing Child Sexual Abuse Material: Pathways to Offending and Online Behaviour

  Pathways to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) Offending and Online Behavior Date: October 26, 2024 Source: Excerpts from “Pathways-to-CSEM-Wortley-et-al-2024.pdf” (Child Abuse & Neglect 154 (2024) 106936)

  DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106936

  Published: 2024
  Research type: Survey Study

  View original source →

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    September 24, 2026

    Explore four typologies of sextortion offenders from 111 U.S. federal cases, including motivations, victim profiles, limitations, and mitigation implications.

  • CSEM, Generative Artificial Intelligence, and the Law

    June 18, 2026

    The proliferation of Generative Artificial Intelligence is transforming the landscape of CSEM creation, distribution, and forensics.

  • CSAM Offending: A New Meta-Analysis

    December 16, 2025

    CSAM Offending meta-analysis (2025) updates recidivism rates: low official reoffense, higher self-report, and key CSAM-only vs mixed differences.

  More from this research collection →

  Forensic Services

  Need additional support with a sentencing mitigation report or another complex forensic case? Dr. Jennifer Weeks, an expert witness and forensic counselor, provides consultation and forensic services for attorneys and other professionals working with sexual-behavior cases.

  Explore Dr. Weeks’ forensic services →

  ---

  Continue exploring Mitigation Aide for the information on mental health necessary to ensure your clients are treated fairly in the criminal justice system.

  

  The post Pathways to CSAM Offending first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

  ]]> https://mitigationaide.com/pathways-to-csam-offending/feed/ 0 https://mitigationaide.com/comparing-the-static-99r-and-cport/ https://mitigationaide.com/comparing-the-static-99r-and-cport/#respond Tue, 18 Feb 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://mitigationaide.com/?p=1719 There is a prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse Materials cases and no fully validated risk assessment measure for these cases. Looking at the Static-99R and CPORT.

  The post Comparing the Static-99R and CPORT first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

  ]]>

  Overview

  There is a prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) cases, and, at present, there is no fully validated risk assessment measure for these cases. In this study summary we’ll look at the Static-99R and CPORT for these purposes.

  Summary

  Courts are looking for a risk assessment and all an evaluator can truly provide is the goodness of fit of the client to the type of CSAM offenders known in the research literature and those estimates of recidivism.

  CPORT is the only static risk measure specifically developed for use with these cases.

  While it is a helpful tool, it continues to require validation studies and often, in the United States, evaluators are not provided all of the forensic materials necessary to use the full measure.

  Therefore, studies assessing the usefulness of other risk assessment measures for CSAM cases can be helpful.

  Details of the Static-99R CPORT Study

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  Reference

  SOURCE RESEARCH

  Comparing the Static-99R and the Child Pornography Offender Risk Tool (CPORT) in Two Canadian Samples Adjudicated of Child Sexual Exploitation Material Offenses

  Eke, A. W., et al. (2024). “Comparing the Static-99R and the Child Pornography Offender Risk Tool (CPORT) in two Canadian samples adjudicated of child sexual exploitation material offenses.” Journal of Criminal Justice 95.

  DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2024.102303

  Published: 2024
  Research type: Validation Study
  Jurisdiction: Canada

  View original source →

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    May 14, 2026

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    September 15, 2025

    Does the Static-99R or the MnSOST-R accurately predict recidivism in individuals with Intellectual Disabilities or Borderline Intellectual Functioning?

  • What Risk Assessment Tools Can You Use for CSEM Cases?

    March 12, 2024

    CSAM cases continue to proliferate, the question remains: What risk assessment measures can be used for cases without co-occuring contact offending behaviors?

  More from this research collection →

  Forensic Services

  Need additional support with a sentencing mitigation report or another complex forensic case? Dr. Jennifer Weeks, an expert witness and forensic counselor, provides consultation and forensic services for attorneys and other professionals working with sexual-behavior cases.

  Explore Dr. Weeks’ forensic services →

  ---

  Continue exploring Mitigation Aide for the information on mental health necessary to ensure your clients are treated fairly in the criminal justice system.

  

  The post Comparing the Static-99R and CPORT first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

  ]]> https://mitigationaide.com/comparing-the-static-99r-and-cport/feed/ 0 https://mitigationaide.com/what-risk-assessment-tools-can-you-use-for-csem-cases/ https://mitigationaide.com/what-risk-assessment-tools-can-you-use-for-csem-cases/#respond Tue, 12 Mar 2024 17:53:13 +0000 https://mitigationaide.com/?p=1636 CSAM cases continue to proliferate, the question remains: What risk assessment measures can be used for cases without co-occuring contact offending behaviors?

  The post What Risk Assessment Tools Can You Use for CSEM Cases? first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

  ]]>

  Overview

  With the CSAM cases continuing to proliferate, the question for evaluators remains: What risk assessment measures can you use for these cases without co-occuring contact offending behaviors? There is currently only one risk assessment tool specifically designed for CSAM. It has limited use due to some issues with psychometrics and validity in all populations.

  Summary

  Authors Helmus et. al, sought to address with their submitted for publication in January of 2024. They provided their manuscript to ATSA members. This study reviewed all of the research to date on the following measures and assessed them in reference to their predictive accuracy with CSAM cases. The measures studied were:

  • CPORT
  • Risk Matrix 2000/Sex
  • OASys Sexual Reoffending Predictor – Indecent Images
  • Static-99R
  • STABLE-2007
  • ACUTE- 2007
  • Post Conviction Risk Assessment (PCRA)
  • Level of Service Inventory- Ontario Revision (LSI-OR)

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    Reference

    SOURCE RESEARCH

    What Risk Assessment Tools Can Be Used With Men Convicted of Child Sexual Exploitation Material Offenses? Recommendations From a Review of Current Research

    Helmus, L.M., Eke, A.W., Seto, M.C. (2024) What risk assessment tools can be used with men convicted of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) offenses? Recommendations from a review of current research. Link

    DOI: 10.1037/lhb0000594

    Published: 2024
    Research type: Literature Review

    View original source →

    Related Research

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      May 14, 2026

      What level of accuracy does the SAPROF-SO provide for predicting recidivism as compared to other, validated assessments? A look at a 170 sample study.

    • Intellectual Disabilities and Sexual Recidivism

      September 15, 2025

      Does the Static-99R or the MnSOST-R accurately predict recidivism in individuals with Intellectual Disabilities or Borderline Intellectual Functioning?

    • Comparing the Static-99R and CPORT

      February 18, 2025

      There is a prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse Materials cases and no fully validated risk assessment measure for these cases. Looking at the Static-99R and CPORT.

    More from this research collection →

    Forensic Services

    Need additional support with a sentencing mitigation report or another complex forensic case? Dr. Jennifer Weeks, an expert witness and forensic counselor, provides consultation and forensic services for attorneys and other professionals working with sexual-behavior cases.

    Explore Dr. Weeks’ forensic services →

    ---

    Continue exploring Mitigation Aide for the information on mental health necessary to ensure your clients are treated fairly in the criminal justice system.

    

    The post What Risk Assessment Tools Can You Use for CSEM Cases? first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

    ]]> https://mitigationaide.com/what-risk-assessment-tools-can-you-use-for-csem-cases/feed/ 0 https://mitigationaide.com/what-do-we-need-to-know-about-child-pornography-autism-and-the-law/ https://mitigationaide.com/what-do-we-need-to-know-about-child-pornography-autism-and-the-law/#respond Mon, 02 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000 https://mitigationaide.com/?p=1549 In this article, Mark Mahoney, Esquire, lays out the primary symptoms of ASD and the peculiarities of autism and the law.

    The post What do we Need to Know About Child Pornography, Autism and the Law? first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

    ]]>

    Overview

    In this article, Mark Mahoney, Esquire, lays out the primary symptoms of ASD and the peculiarities of autism and the law.

    Summary

    While this article, written and privately published by Attorney Mahoney, is older (2009), its contents are still extremely relevant today.

    The number of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) involved in the criminal justice system is not decreasing, and anecdotally, appears to be increasing.

    Syptoms of ASD: Autism and the Law

    In his article, Mr. Mahoney lays out the primary symptoms of ASD. Here’s a brief overview of these symptoms:

    • Difficulty in understanding the perspective of others, often called Mind blindness or struggles with Theory of Mind
    • Delays in social and emotional development
    • Lack of understanding of socially expected behavior and norms
    • Intense focus on certain topics or behaviors.

    Autism and the Law: How does Autism play out in the criminal justice system?

    The crux of this article is how do ASD symptoms play out in the criminal justice system when accused of a sexual offense.

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    Reference

    SOURCE RESEARCH

    Asperger’s Syndrome and the Criminal Law: The Special Case of Child Pornography

    Mahoney, M. (2009).

    Published: 2009
    Research type: Legal Article

    Open source article →

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    Forensic Services

    Need additional support with a sentencing mitigation report or another complex forensic case? Dr. Jennifer Weeks, an expert witness and forensic counselor, provides consultation and forensic services for attorneys and other professionals working with sexual-behavior cases.

    Explore Dr. Weeks’ forensic services →

    ---

    Continue exploring Mitigation Aide for the information on mental health necessary to ensure your clients are treated fairly in the criminal justice system.

    

    The post What do we Need to Know About Child Pornography, Autism and the Law? first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

    ]]> https://mitigationaide.com/what-do-we-need-to-know-about-child-pornography-autism-and-the-law/feed/ 0 https://mitigationaide.com/should-the-cport-be-used-for-csam-risk-assessment/ https://mitigationaide.com/should-the-cport-be-used-for-csam-risk-assessment/#respond Mon, 07 Aug 2023 21:21:21 +0000 https://mitigationaide.com/?p=1528 Analysis of a meta-study trying to validate the forensic use of the Child Pornography Offender Risk Tool (CPORT) for actuarial CSAM risk assessment.

    The post Should the CPORT Be Used for CSAM Risk Assessment? first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

    ]]>

    Overview

    Analysis of a meta-study trying to validate the forensic use of the Child Pornography Offender Risk Tool (CPORT) for actuarial CSAM risk assessment.

    Summary

    Those in the field know the criminal justice system prefers to have an actuarial risk assessment measure to aide in decisions for sentencing, treatment needs, etc.

    There are long standing and validated risk assessment measures for contact sexual offenses. However, there are no validated risk assessment measures for non-contact, Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) offenders.

    CPORT and Risk Assessment

    The CPORT was created several years ago by Dr. Michael Seto and colleagues. However, this measure is not without its difficulties. The authors note in the manual that it should not be used as a risk assessment measure.

    Despite this statement, many evaluators are using the CPORT as a risk assessment tool.

    The Study

    An article published this year (2023)

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    Reference

    SOURCE RESEARCH

    Risk Assessment of Child-Pornography-Exclusive Offenders

    Scurich, N., & Krauss, D.A. (2023). Risk Assessment of Child-Pornography-Exclusive Offenders. Law and Human Behavior, 47(4); 499-509.

    Published: 2023
    Research type: Meta-Analysis / Validation Study

    DOI: 10.1037/lhb0000537

    View original source →

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      December 16, 2025

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      February 18, 2025

      There is a prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse Materials cases and no fully validated risk assessment measure for these cases. Looking at the Static-99R and CPORT.

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      March 12, 2024

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    Forensic Services

    Need additional support with a sentencing mitigation report or another complex forensic case? Dr. Jennifer Weeks, an expert witness and forensic counselor, provides consultation and forensic services for attorneys and other professionals working with sexual-behavior cases.

    Explore Dr. Weeks’ forensic services →

    ---

    Continue exploring Mitigation Aide for the information on mental health necessary to ensure your clients are treated fairly in the criminal justice system.

    

    The post Should the CPORT Be Used for CSAM Risk Assessment? first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

    ]]> https://mitigationaide.com/should-the-cport-be-used-for-csam-risk-assessment/feed/ 0 https://mitigationaide.com/mixed-offenders-are-not-all-the-same/ https://mitigationaide.com/mixed-offenders-are-not-all-the-same/#respond Mon, 17 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0000 https://mitigationaide.com/?p=1470 It has been known for quite some time that there are two categories of CSAM offenders, internet-only and mixed offenders.

    The post Mixed Offenders are not all the Same first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

    ]]>

    Overview

    It has been known for quite some time that there are two categories of CSAM offenders, internet-only and mixed offenders.

    Summary

    CSAM offenders have no history of a contact sexual offense. Mixed offenders are, generally, defined as a CSAM offense with a historical or concurrent contact sexual offense. For years, mixed offenders were all lumped into one group and were not studied on their own to determine if they were a homogeneous group.

    The Study: Mixed Offenders

    In a study published in 2022, Babchishin, et. al., looked further into the issue. Specifically looking at whether or not the order in which a contact offense occurred in relation to the CSAM offense has any impact on the risk of recidivism.

    The original data sample for this study was comprised of 387 Canadian men.

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    Reference

    SOURCE RESEARCH

    Temporal Order of Sexual Offending is Risk-Relevant for Individuals with Child Sexual Exploitation Materials Offenses

    Babchishin, K. M., Lee, S. C., Eke, A. W., & Seto, M. C. (2022).

    Sexual Offending: Theory, Research and Prevention, 17

    DOI: 10.5964/sotrap.7229

    Published: 2022
    Jurisdiction: Canada

    View original source →

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      August 7, 2023

      Analysis of a meta-study trying to validate the forensic use of the Child Pornography Offender Risk Tool (CPORT) for actuarial CSAM risk assessment.

    • Summary of the Report of the PA Task Force on Child Pornography

      February 23, 2023

      What are the findings of the multi-year, state government-funded report of the PA Task Force on Child Pornography? And what are its recommendations?

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    Forensic Services

    Need additional support with a sentencing mitigation report or another complex forensic case? Dr. Jennifer Weeks, an expert witness and forensic counselor, provides consultation and forensic services for attorneys and other professionals working with sexual-behavior cases.

    Explore Dr. Weeks’ forensic services →

    The post Mixed Offenders are not all the Same first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

    ]]> https://mitigationaide.com/mixed-offenders-are-not-all-the-same/feed/ 0 https://mitigationaide.com/summary-of-the-report-of-the-pa-task-force-on-child-pornography/ https://mitigationaide.com/summary-of-the-report-of-the-pa-task-force-on-child-pornography/#respond Thu, 23 Feb 2023 23:14:38 +0000 https://mitigationaide.com/?p=1423 What are the findings of the multi-year, state government-funded report of the PA Task Force on Child Pornography? And what are its recommendations?

    The post Summary of the Report of the PA Task Force on Child Pornography first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

    ]]>

    Overview

    What are the findings of the multi-year, state government-funded report of the PA Task Force on Child Pornography? And what are its recommendations?

    Summary

    In 2021 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania passed ACT 53 which established the Task Force on Child Pornography.

    It directed the task force to “conduct a review to ascertain any inadequacies relating to the offense of child pornography in 18 PA CS 6312.

    The report was finished and published in September of 2022.

    What was the Focus of the Report of the PA Task Force on Child Pornography?

    The report narrowed in on a number of issues related to CSAM offenses.

    It reviewed the demographics of the individuals committing these crimes, assessed the newest research on recidivism, looked at SOAB assessments and surveyed law enforcement and prosecutors.

    Who was included in the Report of the PA Task Force on Child Pornography?

    Between 2014 and October of 2021, there were 2989 cases involving CSAM offenses with an average of 385 cases per year.

    The majority of cases

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    Reference

    SOURCE RESEARCH

    Task Force on Child Pornography FINAL Report

    Pennsylvania Task Force on Child Pornography. (2022).

    Published: 2022
    Source type: Government Report
    Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania

    Open official report →

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      October 29, 2021

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    The post Summary of the Report of the PA Task Force on Child Pornography first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

    ]]> https://mitigationaide.com/summary-of-the-report-of-the-pa-task-force-on-child-pornography/feed/ 0