ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the available literature on indecent images of children (IIOC) offending, and focuses on offences associated with possession and downloading of this material. It starts with outlining offence definitions and prevalence, before reviewing the available evidence about victim experiences and impacts. The chapter examines offender motivations and psychological characteristics, and the relationship between possession and potential escalation to contact offending. It identifies the knowledge gaps and research challenges associated with this category of cybercrime, as well as the implications of the intersection between technology and this form of sexual offending for the criminal justice system. The chapter reviews understanding of offender demographics, motivations and explanations for offending behaviour in order to identify current gaps in the literature and associated investigative challenges. The evidence suggests that there is no clear demographic profile for those who use information communications technology to commit IIOC offences other than the majority being male and of white ethnicity.
