Sadistic Online Exploitation

Over the past four years, law enforcement has identified numerous online "gore groups" that target youth across the United States and other countries. These groups engage in acts of Sadistic Online Exploitation, identifying vulnerable minors and coercing them to self-harm; produce violent and gory child sexual abuse material; torture animals; and live-stream suicides via social media platforms. Victims are often found and groomed in publicly available online spaces where youth are known to frequent, such as popular social media platforms and open-world videogames. Offenders participating in these groups are sometimes motivated by Nihilistic Violent Extremism, an ideology that aims to bring about the downfall of society through corrupting youth. These groups often target minor females, LGBTQ+ youth, and minors who struggle with mental health issues to include depression, eating disorders, self-harm and suicidal ideation. This session will explore the history and rise of these types of groups; victimology and offender demographics; group structure, targeting practices, and motivations; and legal considerations of investigating and prosecuting these types of case.

Completion of this course confers two credit hours. If you do not see any Upcoming Sessions below, please make sure you are logged in and that your profile is complete.