Eye-catching headlines such as "Sixty people charged in child-porn crackdown" explode in the media with alarming frequency, giving the impression that our communities are awash with perverts. But what exactly do we know about these crimes and those who commit them? Who produces child cyberpornography? Who distributes it? Who consumes it? And is there a link between viewing and abuse?

Seeking answers to these questions, Francis Fortin and Patrice Corriveau infiltrated child-porn user groups and compared their findings to scholarship on the subject. Who Is Bob_34? breaks down popular perceptions by opening a window on a clandestine world populated by a spectrum of cyberpedophiles, ranging from occasional image collectors to sex abusers who lure and assault children. Contrary to popular perceptions, the typical cyberpedophile is in his mid-thirties and grew up using the Internet. He often believes his actions are justifiable and takes pride in collecting and sharing child porn.

This timely book reveals that this contemporary phenomenon is much more complicated than the media and commissioned reports suggest.

The most comprehensive examination to date of the clandestine world of child cyberpornography.

About the Author

Francis Fortin has worked in the field of criminal investigations and intelligence since 1999. He is an assistant professor at the School of Criminology at the Universite de Montreal. His research focuses on cybercrime, criminal intelligence, data mining, and forensic analysis. He has taught specialized courses at several Quebec universities, including classes in the emerging field of open-source intelligence and classes on how to conduct cyberinvestigations. He has presented and published numerous scientific papers and is the author of a book on cybercrimes: Cybercriminalite: Entre inconduite et crime organise.

Prior to becoming an associate professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of Ottawa, Patrice Corriveau worked as a senior policy analyst at Justice Canada. He is currently researching the history of suicide in Quebec since 1763 and is conducting a research project into the challenges and issues posed by new technologies for youth, especially in the school environment. He is also the founder of the non-profit organization Cyberaction Jeunesse Canada, which educates young and old people alike on issues related to cybersecurity. His recent books are Sex Work: Rethinking the Job, Respecting Workers (2013); Cyberpedophiles et autres agresseurs virtuels (2011); Judging Homosexuals (2011), La regulation sociale des minorites sexuelles: L'inquietude de la difference (2011); Mais oui c'est un travail (2010); and Gangs and Girls (2009).

Book Information
ISBN 9780774829687
Author Francis Fortin
Format Paperback
Page Count 122
Imprint University of British Columbia Press
Publisher University of British Columbia Press