Allegations of illegal behavior involving electronic communications, photography, or video can be some of the most damaging and difficult to address as these materials can be seized by law enforcement and become damaging evidence of a crime. It is illegal for a person to communicate with a minor for immoral purposes. A minor is anyone under the age of eighteen. Immoral purposes are essentially communications of a sexual or obscene nature. CMIP is a gross misdemeanor unless the communication takes the form of an electronic communication or the person charged has previously been convicted of CMIP or a felony sex offense. In those cases, the crime is a Class C felony.

Internet sex crimes carry the potential for severe legal penalties in addition to significant social stigma, which can cause long-term financial and familial consequences. A criminal defense attorney may need to defend you against a charge of solicitation if you have been accused of offering sexual contact for monetary gain. This type of offense may be committed with the use of Internet chat rooms, online ads, instant messages, or discussion forums. A similar charge is solicitation of a minor. An individual could face this charge if he or she is accused of trying to coerce or lure a minor into committing sexual acts.

Online predators are individuals who commit child sexual abuse that begins or takes place on the Internet. Internet-facilitated sex crimes against minors involve deceit and begin with adults communicating with children over the Internet with the goal of coercing them into illegal sexual activity. Sometimes the sexual abuse happens face to face. Chat rooms , instant messaging , Internet forums , social networking sites , cell phones , and even video game consoles have issues with online predations. Initial manipulation often involves introducing the minors to sexual activity, showing them pornography, and requesting sexually explicit information and pictures.

Online sexual exploitation most commonly includes grooming, live streaming, consuming child sexual abuse material, and coercing and blackmailing children for sexual purposes. Never before has it been easier for perpetrators to make contact with children, share images of abuse, hide their identity and profits — and inspire each other to commit further crimes. Behind every image, video or screen, there is a real child victim being sexually exploited. Like other forms of sexual abuse, online abuse can scar victims emotionally and physically for a lifetime. But unlike other forms of abuse, the child can potentially be re-victimized millions of times — every time an image is watched, sent or received.