Internet predators

Although the Internet traces its origins back more than 35 years, the online world as it is known today is only a decade old. Since the mid-1990s, email and Internet access have been transformed from “techie” preoccupations to everyday activities. Unfortunately, wider public access has led to some problems. The distribution of child pornography and the use of Internet chat rooms by pedophiles to gain access to children are two of the best-known and most feared forms of Internet predation. Recent large-scale operations conducted by the FBI, Interpol, and other law enforcement agencies have netted hundreds of alleged offenders. Other types of crime include cyberstalking and harassment using the Internet, frauds and scams carried out online or by email, identity theft, and other crimes related to personal information. Internet Predators discusses the struggle to combat criminal and antisocial activity online and to prevent victimization without excessively restricting the freedom that has helped make the online world a vital part of the U.S. economy and society. It focuses on the individual online user and on what service providers, regulatory agencies, law enforcement officials, legislators, and others can and should do to protect the online public. A lively reference resource and useful research guide, this book provides readers with clear and essential information needed to define, understand, and research this important topic.