ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book addresses what has often been overlooked in discussions of technology within the CJS – how best to define technology. It argues that such a narrow focus profoundly undermines one's understanding of how criminals and control agents use technologies. The book sets out an up-to-date overview of cyber-dependent offending. It suggests that digital technology has had a decisive impact upon fraud-related offences, one which one's criminal justice institutions have failed to keep abreast of. The book looks at a particular area of concern – the way digital technologies may have encouraged paedophiliac abuse of children by enabling the making and distribution of illegal sexualised imagery. It examines a range of sexual practices which have been transformed by digital technology, from pornography to prostitution. The book provides a keynote discussion to address the theoretical lacuna directly.
