Developing a Typology of Child Sexual Exploitation Material Offending in New Zealand

Existing typologies of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) offending are significantly limited as many have not been empirically developed or tested for their validity or reliability. Furthermore, their practical utility is limited, as many typologies classify individuals based only on the type of CSEM offending they engage in or are limited to a small number of variables. The current research addresses these issues by developing an exploratory typology of individuals who have engaged in CSEM offending using a data set of 557 individuals in New Zealand, who have been identified by the Department of Internal Affairs. A latent class analysis was conducted using their offence characteristics to identify distinct subgroups within the sample. Follow-up tests were conducted to evaluate how these groups differed on various individual characteristics to develop a more detailed understanding of the individuals within each group. Results found four distinct subgroups of individuals who varied according to their level of engagement with the material, technical capability, type of CSEM offending, and the type of material they searched for. Post-hoc tests also revealed significant differences in access to children, previous sexual offending, and previous CSEM offending between groups. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.