Sexting: the challenges of policing the ever changing world of internet child pornography under austerity

The ever changing world of the internet presents a never before seen challenge to law enforcement. Sexting (sending sexual photos or script in texts) is a new form of child produced child pornography (Levick & Moon, 2010) that requires a sensitive, unique and conversant approach. This crime is unusual as the pornographic images are produced by the child or young person themselves and as such, the victim is also the perpetrator. These images are sometimes intended for 1 individual and are then shared with others or are uploaded to the internet where they can be seen by anyone although occasionally, they are intended for a mass audience (Ostranger, 2010). At the point that research has investigated any particular technological phenomenon, the technological world has moved on and as such any police or academic response is outmoded (NSPCC, 2009). This creates an ethos whereby the police are constantly trying to catch up with the technology used to produce this form of pornography and ways of stopping it. The unique nature of sexting, the potential damage caused to the victims who are also the producers of this pornography causes issues to the police not found elsewhere. The approach taken in some US states of prosecuting young females for sharing images of themselves is problematic (Gifford, 2009 & Walker, 2010), victim blaming (Hasinoff, 2012) and damaging to the young person involved (Ostranger, 2010). The environment created by austerity and target driven policing makes this particular crime especially difficult to police.