Eradicating the Pandemic of Child Sexual Abuse
Heather Steele, MBA
Pandemic \pan-ˈde-mik\ : occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high
proportion of the population. (Mirriam-Webster)
Sexual abuse of children has reached pandemic proportions in the US
In 1918-19 the flu pandemic infected 25% of the American population.1 The polio epidemic of 1952
infected 3.7%2 of the US population, causing general alarm in the population followed by Herculean efforts
to eradicate it. As a result, the Americas were declared polio-free in 19943.
Now few of us spend much time worrying about polio affecting our children. However, today in the US,
22% of all children - 25% of girls and 16% of boys - have been sexually abused4.
We face a pandemic of child sexual abuse in the United States. These children suffer the consequences for
the rest of their lives, and most will spend incredible amounts of energy and time coping with the abuse for
decades instead of achieving their highest and best purposes.
Sadly, a not insignificant number of physically and sexually abused children go on to perpetuate the cycle
of abuse. The odds of a child sexual abuse victim being arrested for sexual assault are 4.7 times higher
than for perpetrators who were not sexually abused as children.5
Frontline workers are overwhelmed
As hard as our frontline child protective services, law enforcement, and probation officers work to protect
children, efforts to break the cycle are failing the vast majority of sexually abused children.
A meta-analysis of research concludes that only 5-8% of child sexual abuse is ever reported.6 In fact, a
study of confirmed cases of sexual abuse of children from 1985-89 showed that 79% of the children of the
study
initially
denied
abuse,
and
22%
eventually
recanted
their
statements. 7
In the US, reports usually go to child protective services. However, child protective services are
overwhelmed, struggling to adequately conduct investigations and follow-ups. Law enforcement child
abuse units face challenges due to delayed reporting and subsequent difficulty of obtaining clear and
useable evidence in child sexual abuse cases. Although research shows that 92-98% of allegations of
sexual abuse are true8, arrest rates on cases of child sexual abuse of children under 18 are only 29%, and for
children under 6, only 19%.9 Median sentences for child molesters are significantly lower than for sex
offenders whose victims are adults.10
Current strategies are limited in scope and significant impact
In the last several years, several methods to address child sexual abuse have emerged. Undoubtedly, these
approaches can be invaluable tools, however, my premise is that no single one, or even all of them together,
provides a wide-scale and effective solution to ending child sexual abuse this century.
Encouraging children and adults to come forward to report is necessary, but does nothing to change low
arrest rates, and child protective services overload. Increased reporting without more manpower or
methods to substantiate abuse may, in fact, exacerbate the problem.
Giving therapy to abused children to prevent them from continuing the cycle is absolutely vital, but
insufficient as a means to end child sexual abuse. For those victims who are at risk to offend, how will we
ever reach many or all of them if they do not immediately report abuse, do not receive justice when coming
forward, are not arrested when they offend as juveniles, do not seek treatment, or do not have the means to
pay for treatment?
Therapy for the small number of adult sex offenders actually convicted is also not mandatory, nor often
welcomed by them11, and certainly makes no promises to reduce long-term recidivism rates12. Even a 2007
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study of members of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers states that 63% of professionals
reported “little hope for a cure,” and 88% of professionals fear “recidivism after treatment.” 13 In regards to
relapse prevention therapy, one recent California study found “those who entered…treatment were slightly
more likely to offend again than those who got no therapy at all.” 14
Pedophiles are also extremely manipulative, and are often successful in deceiving their therapists.
According to Douglas Carlin, a convicted rapist who completed treatment and was released in 2006 in
Florida, “Most of those guys, they are just faking it to make it. They’re just waiting to get released so they
can go right back to what they were doing.” 15
Civil commitment of sex offenders after their prison terms have ended is expensive, and sex is often
rampant among offenders and even between offenders and staff. It also costs four times more than
extending prison sentences, according to an investigation by the New York Times:
“The treatment regimens are expensive and largely unproven, and there is no way to compel
patients to participate. Many simply do not show up for their sessions on their lawyers’ advice –
treatment often requires them to recount crimes, even those not known to law enforcement – and
spend their time instead gardening, watching television or playing video games. The cost of the
programs is virtually unchecked and growing, with states spending nearly $450 million on them
this year. The annual price of housing a committed sex offender averages more than $100,000
compared with about $26,000 a year for keeping someone in prison.” 16
Victim advocates suggest that it would be more effective and less expensive to give sex offenders longer
sentences, prevent plea deals with prosecutors, and mandate treatment during incarceration. 17
Finally, the laws passed nationwide to exclude convicted sex offenders from living near schools,
playgrounds, or other areas where children congregate could drive sex offenders into areas without
restriction laws, pushing an urban problem onto rural communities who may be even less prepared and
equipped to deal with it.
The 96% solution
96% of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by trusted people in the child’s life.18 Children, who often rely
upon these people of trust for their survival, are less likely to report them than strangers.19 In 34 states,
children who do report relatives are often punished by incest loopholes, wherein family offenders receive
lesser or no jail time, and children may be forced into family therapy, and returned to offenders. These
laws serve to re-traumatize and effectively silence children. In fact, recidivism rates for family offenders
are falsely considered to be low because children, having been betrayed for reporting abuse the first time,
almost never report subsequent abuse. According to Bruce Perry, MD, PhD, senior fellow at the
ChildTrauma Academy:
“When you place incest offenders back in the home with their children, they’ll just be a lot more
careful about being caught next time. The kids, too, then often become compliant. They tried
reporting it, and it didn’t work. Now, for their own safety, they are likely to be much less resistant
and much less likely to disclose a reoffense.”20
Using Child Pornography as a Rescue Tool
Mythical stereotypes of benign child pornography depicting naked children are far from reality. Only 1%
of child pornography possessors collect images of only nude children.21 The truth is child abuse images are
graphic, brutal and often involve torture of toddlers and infants. Former Det. Sgt. Paul Gillespie of the
Toronto Child Abuse and Exploitation Unit tells of a “normal” day at the office:
“We regularly seize hundreds of thousands of images involving children as young as babies in
diapers… being brutally tortured, raped, sodomized and bleeding. This is the norm. There are now
3 and 4 year-olds in 20 minute movies screaming for daddy to stop.”22
A federally-funded study23 of child pornography offenders published in 2005 shows that:
 83% possessed images of children between the ages of 6 and 12,
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



39% possessed images of children 3 to 5 years old,
19% possessed images of children younger than 3,
80% possessed images of child rape, and
21% possessed images depicting the children being bound, gagged, blindfolded or “otherwise
enduring sadistic sex.”
“Tens of thousands of children are being tortured,” says Gillespie, “and it doesn’t seem to be registering.” 24
In 2003, ICAC task forces had identified 3,600 pictures 25. In the following three years, they had identified
over 6.5 million child pornography26 (new) images online of children waiting to be rescued and over
100,000 different websites.27
Investigators are using the images to rescue children. In San Diego, a recent child pornography
investigation tracked down a respiratory therapist at Children’s Hospital who had been sexually abusing 23 severely disabled children a week for 10 years. Without the child pornography investigation, he would
still be abusing children who were unable to ask for help. A Calgary father raped his three-week old infant
daughter, photographed the crime, and traded the images, leading to his arrest. After infiltrating an Internet
chat room called “Kids the Light of Our Lives” in 2007, thirty-one children were rescued from sexual
abuse, some “as young as a few months old.” 28 One of those arrested was a day-care worker.
Viewing Child Pornography Fuels Child Rape
Often the public believes that “just looking” at child pornography is a victimless crime. Nothing could be
more false. Every picture is a crime scene photo of a child being hurt. It will haunt its victim every day, if
he or she is lucky enough to survive the abuse. (Some children are killed29)
Every time a picture is viewed, traded or purchased, it sends a signal that more supply is needed.
Often viewers are encouraged by other pedophiles to take the next step and produce their own photos.
Current estimates figure 20,000 new images are produced monthly to meet demand.30 Most photos are
created by individual perpetrators31 in homes where technology and broadband access are widely available.
In fact, it is estimated that the US is the #1 producer worldwide.32
Additionally, numerous studies indicate that most viewers are also child sex contact crime perpetrators, and
that viewing child pornography can turn latent pedophiles into active molesters.
A 2000 study conducted by the Sex Offender Treatment Program in Butner Federal Prison discovered that
the majority of those convicted on child pornography offenses had actually molested large numbers of
children.33 80% of child abuse image possessors admitted to molesting children, and had an average 30.5
victims each, while those jailed for contact offenses “only” admitted to an average of 9.5 victims each. In
2006, 85% of new program participants admitted to molesting children34. These “offenders are far more
dangerous to society than we previously thought,” says Dr. Hernandez, the author of the study.
Qualitative studies show convicted child pornography viewers often turn into contact offenders. One
offender admits, “I copied what I had seen. It gave me more courage knowing they were doing it, I can do
it.”35
Child Pornography Prosecution – The Best Path to Eradication of Child Sexual Abuse
Child pornography investigations can be developed without a child coming forward, and without pitting a
child victim against a perpetrator in court. Those caught often are “pillars of society” - 91% are white, 41%
are college educated, and 59% are or were married.36 Prosecuting child pornography crimes is extremely
effective, boasting a 93-95% conviction rate.37 Federal penalties for possession are up to 10 years, and for
production, 15-30 years. Together with child molestation charges, the federal charges can put offenders in
jail for a lifetime.
For the first time in history, we have an effective tool to defeat the child sexual abuse pandemic.
“Following the trail back through the Internet to interdict these criminals is the single best way we have of
rescuing otherwise unidentified children and preventing future child sexual assault, “ says Wyoming
Special Agent Flint Waters.
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Yet Waters estimates less than 2% of these known crimes are being investigated, due to lack of resources.
"We are... drowning in a tidal wave of tragedy and we don't have what we need to save these children.” 38
Currently only 46 federally-funded Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) taskforces receive just $17
million, or $370,000 per team. They have received more than 250,000 complaints, which have led to only
6,000 arrests nationwide 39 San Diego county’s ICAC has only 3.5 detectives. Yet San Diego has 18 West
Nile Virus investigators, and 15 sewage leak inspectors. Flint Waters estimates, “If you quadruple my
funding, I still couldn’t keep up.”40
For most children caught in this nightmare web of child sexual abuse, ICAC investigators offer the only
realistic hope of rescue. One said, “When I was being photographed and raped I used to try to send
messages with my eyes down the lens and hoped that one day a good person might see and come to help
us.”41 Special Agent Waters relates “There are times when you find yourself staring into the eyes of the
children in these movies and apologizing. You apologize because you just can't find them. You can't rescue
them. There are not enough people or resources.”42
Child sexual abuse is not something we have to endure as an undefeatable, ancient enemy. Polio had
existed for over 5,000 years, and once the technology was available it took less than 50 years to eradicate it
in the US. We can do the same for child sexual abuse. Please join me in the effort to decimate child
sexual abuse in this century by supporting our Internet Crimes Against Children task forces in their vital
work to save our children.
Heather Steele is currently founding her own non-profit to provide material support to ICAC teams,
educate the public about child pornography crimes, and advocate for more funding for ICAC task forces at
the state and federal level.
1
http://virus.stanford.edu/uda/
57,000 were infected (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poliomyelitis). US population 1952 = 157,000,000 http://www.infoplease.com/year/1952.html#us
3
"International Notes Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication—the Americas, 1994". MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 43 (39): 720–
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. PMID 7522302
4
Felitti, Vincent, MD. “The Origins of Addiction: Evidence from the Adverse Childhood Experience Study” Department of
Preventative Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego. Based on the 2005 Adverse Childhood Experiences
(ACE) Study of 17,337 adult HMO members of Kaiser Permanente in San Diego.
5
Widom, Cathy Spatz. “Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse – Later Criminal Consequences”, Victims of Child Sexual Abuse,
Series: NIJ Research in Brief, March 1995. www.ncjrs.gov/txtfiles/abuse.txt.
6
Collings, SJ. “How do Sexually Abused Children Disclose? Towards and Evidence-Based Approach to Practice.” Acta
Criminologica 19 (1) 2006
7
Sorensen, T., Snow, B. (1991). How children tell: The process of disclosure in child sexual abuse. Child Welfare League of America,
70, 3-15. (http://www.prevent-abuse-now.com/stats.htm#Links)
8
Thoennes N, Tjaden PG: “The extent, nature, and validity of sexual abuse allegations in custody/visitation disputes.” Child Abuse &
Neglect 14: 151-163, 1990. and Everson MD, Boat BW: “False allegations of sexual abuse by children and adolescents.” J Am Acad
Child Adolesc Psychiatry 28: 230-235, 1989.
9
Synder, Howard. Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement: Victim,
Incident, and Offender Characteristics”, July 2000. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/saycrle.pdf
10
Greenfiled, Lawrence. “Child Victimizers: Violent Offenders and their Victims,” Bureau of Justice Statistics (NIBRS data),
March 1996. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cvvoatv.pdf
11
“The overwhelming majority (of sex offenders) choose not to entire the (Atascadero treatment) program.” Littlefield, Dana. “Can
sex predators be reformed? Rehab program has little participation, few success stories.” The San Diego Union-Tribune, May 22,
2006 p. A1.
12
(1) “After a 12-year follow-up period of sex offenders, no differences were observed in the rates of sexual (21.1% vs. 21.8%),
violent (42.9% vs. 44.5%) or general (any) recidivism (56.6% vs. 60.4%) for treated and untreated groups, respectively.” Hanson R.
Karl. “Evaluating Community Sex Offender Treatment Programs: A 12-Year Follow-Up of 724 Offenders.” Canadian Journal of
Behavioural Science, Apr 2004. (2) “We conclude that the (treatment) program did not influence propensities for sexual and violent
recidivism.” Seager, James and Debra Jellicoe and Gurmeet K. Dhaliwal. “Refusers, Dropouts, and Completers: Measuring Sex
Offender Treatment Efficacy.” International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Vol. 48, No. 5, 600-612
(2004).
13
Engle, Michael J. and Josephy A. McFalls, Jir and Bernard J. Gallagher III. “Attitudes of Members of the Association for the
Treatment of Sexual Abusers Towards Treatment, Release and Recidivism of Violent Sex Offenders: An Exploratory Study.” Journal
of Offender Rehabilitation, Vol 44, Issue 4, 2007. pp. 17-24.
14
Goodnough, Abby and Monica Davey. “For Sex Offenders, a Dispute Over Therapy’s Benefits.” The New York Times, Mar 6,
2007.
15
ibid.
2
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Davey, Monica and Abby Goodnough. “Doubts Rise as States Hold Sex Offenders After Prison.” New York Times, Mar 4, 2007.
Ibid.
18
Ibid.
19
Hanson RF, Resnick HS, Saunders BE, Kilpatrick DG, Best C. “Factors related to the reporting of childhood rape.” Child Abuse
Neglectl. 1999 Jun;23(6):559-69
20
Goodwin, Jan. “Please Daddy, No.” O Magazine, November 2006 p.348.
21
Child Pornography Possessors Arrested in Internet-Related Crimes: Findings from the National Juvenile Online Victimization
Study, Wolak et. Al., 2005
22
Frank, Steven. “Toronto’s Child Porn Sleuths: A Canadian team leads the way tracking down global perpetrators of grisly Internet
child pornography.” Time Canada, Jul 25, 2005.
23
Wolak, et. al, “Child Pornography Possessors Arrested in Internet-Related Crimes: Findings from the National Juvenile Online
Victimization Study”, 2005. http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/publications/NC144.pdf
24
Frank, Steven. “Toronto’s Child Porn Sleuths: A Canadian team leads the way tracking down global perpetrators of grisly Internet
child pornography.” Time Canada, Jul 25, 2005.
25
Koch, Wendy. “In shadows of Net, war on child porn rages: Despite tough new measures, authorities say it’s outracing attempts to
control it.” USA Today. McLean, Va: Oct 17, 2006. p.A.13.
26
Internet Crimes Against Children Data Network and Koch, Wendy. “In shadows of Net, war on child porn rages: Despite tough
new measures, authorities say it’s outracing attempts to control it.” USA Today. McLean, Va: Oct 17, 2006. p.A.13.
27
Landslide, CBCNews, the fifth estate (a television news program), broadcast November 5, 2003, http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/la
ndslide/porn.html
28
Humphreys, Adrian. “700 tracked in bust of global child porn ring; Toronto detective infiltrated network.” National Post, Don
Mills, Ontario. Jun 19, 2007. pg. A.1.
29
View this ICAC website and story only with extreme caution, I was severely traumatized by the description of a young girl being
raped, tortured and killed: http://www.blueridgethunder.com/day_in_life.asp
30
Internet Crimes Against Children Data Network.
31
91% of child pornography producers act alone. Wolak, et. al. “The Varieties of Child Pornography Production.” p.34. Quayle,
Ethel and Max Taylor. Viewing Child Pornography on the Internet: Understanding the offence, managing the offender, helping the
victims. Russel House, 2005.
32
According to National Children’s Home, a UK Charity.
33
Stopping Child Pornography: Protecting our Children and the Constitution, Senate Committee on the Judiciary Testimony by Ernie
Allen, October 2, 2002 and OJJDP, Juvenile Justice Bulletin, January 2002.
34
Statement of Andres E. Hernandez, Director of the Sex Offender Treatment Program, Fedearl Correctional Institution, Butner, NC
before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Committee on Energy and Commerce, United States House of
Representatives Concerning “Sexual Exploitation of Children Over the Internet: The Face of a Child Predator and Other Issues.”
September 26, 2006.
35
Quayle, Ethel and Max Taylor. “Child pornography and the Internet: Perpetuating a cycle of abuse.” Deviant Behaviour 2002 23
(4), 331-362.
36
Wolak, et. al, “Child Pornography Possessors Arrested in Internet-Related Crimes: Findings from the National Juvenile Online
Victimization Study”, 2005. http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/publications/NC144.pdf
37
Internet Sex Crimes Against Minors: The Response of Law Enforcement. November 2003, Wolak, Mitchell, Finkelhor, Crimes
Against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire.
38
Testimony of Special Agent Flint Waters, Lead Agent for the Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Wyoming
Division of Criminal Investigation, Office of the Attorney General, for the United States House of Representatives, Committee on the
Judiciary, "Sex Crimes and the Internet" October 17, 2007.
39
Remarks of Cybele K. Daley, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, at the Internet Crimes Against
Children Task Force Chief Executive Officer Briefing on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 in San Diego, CA.
40
Koch, Wendy. “In shadows of Net, war on child porn rages: Despite tough new measures, authorities say it’s outracing attempts to
control it.” USA Today. McLean, Va: Oct 17, 2006. p.A.13.
41
Read by Raymond C. Smith, Assistant Inspector in Charge, Child Pornography and Adult Obscenity, U.S. Postal Inspection Service,
in testimony before Congress, April 6, 2006.
42
Testimony of Special Agent Flint Waters, Lead Agent for the Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Wyoming
Division of Criminal Investigation, Office of the Attorney General, for the United States House of Representatives, Committee on the
Judiciary, "Sex Crimes and the Internet" October 17, 2007.
16
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