Online child sexual exploitation and abuse in Canada: A statistical profile of police-reported incidents and court charges, 2014 to 2020

Online child sexual exploitation and abuse encompasses a wide range of behaviours, situations, and things, and bestrides criminal thresholds and geographical boundaries. With technological advancements and the proliferation of smart devices in recent years, the current prevalence of this crime in Canada is not known. Using data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey and the Integrated Criminal Court Survey, this article aims to shed light on the extent and nature of online child sexual exploitation and abuse that come to the attention of Canadian authorities. The article examines the types of incidents reported to police, including child pornography, and the characteristics of victims and accused persons identified in connection with these incidents.

Further, an analysis of court data is presented, examining the types of charges processed in Canadian courts related to sexual offences against children that were likely facilitated online. Some characteristics of adults and youth accused are presented, along with the outcome of the charges laid against them, including sentencing information for those who were found guilty.