Economic indicators of Technology-Facilitated Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Understanding the online economic activities associated with Technology-Facilitated Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (TFCSEA) may contribute to the development of improved prevention and detection strategies. This study examined the association between selected online economic behaviours and engagement in TFCSEA using survey data from large samples of men in Australia ( n = 1,939), the United Kingdom ( n = 1,506), and the United States ( n = 1,473). The survey included measures of online purchasing behaviours and participation in digital sexual marketplaces, including purchasing sexually explicit webcam or livestream content, purchasing sexual images or videos, and subscription to online dating platforms. Multivariable logistic regression models indicate that the odds of reporting TFCSEA behaviours were significantly greater for men who used online dating services (ORs = 2.28–2.51), purchased sexually explicit webcam or livestream content (OR = 2.81), purchased sexual images or videos online (OR = 2.90), and reported being approached online by a child selling sexual content (OR = 6.71), independent of other online activities and demographic factors. These findings suggest that patterns of online economic behaviour may provide useful signals for understanding environments and activities associated with TFCSEA. Further research integrating survey, financial, and platform data is needed to determine how such indicators may contribute to prevention and detection frameworks.