Expert testimony regarding sexual grooming

Abstract

A 2022 article, “Prevalence of Online Sexual Offenses Against Children in the U.S.,” asked the question: “What are the lifetime prevalence and characteristics of online and technology-facilitated sexual abuse against children and youth?” A summary of findings revealed that in “... a national survey study of 2639 individuals, lifetime exposures were as follows: online child sexual abuse, 15.6%; image-based sexual abuse, 11.0%; self-produced child sexual abuse images, 7.2%; nonconsensual sexting, 7.2%; online grooming by adults, 5.4%; revenge pornography, 3.1%; sextortion, 3.5%; and online commercial sexual exploitation, 1.7%.” In truth, statistics cannot provide an accurate, in-depth appreciation of the impact of the present-day in-person and on-line sexual grooming scourge. This is where an expert witness can be of great value: offering knowledge, explanations, and opinions so that a lay person can have a better understanding of this significant impact. (from Introduction)