The Ignored Perpetrator: A Look Inside the Modus Operandi of Female Perpetrators
Ena Lucia Mariaca Pacheco, MA & Alisa Gbiorczyk, CHTI, MA | September 20 | 11:15 am-12:15 pm
Topic: Research, Law Enforcement | Knowledge Level: Advanced
Female perpetration of child sexual abuse and trafficking for exploitation is often overlooked by society and often goes undetected. The researchers will answer the question: What are the modus operandi and tactics employed by female perpetrators in cases of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSEA). This presentation will show the preliminary findings in a multi-year study based on exploratory research methods, in-depth literature review, survivor interviews, and Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Darknet analysis. Empirical evidence is more limited when looking at the female as a perpetrator, instead of the victim. There is a misguided belief that women, including female family members, are always nurturing individuals who can be trusted with children which has engineered the notion that they are less likely to commit sexual crimes against a child in comparison to men (Hamilton, 2021). Yet, in Ena Lucia’s research, participants of child sexual abuse and trafficking reported the presence of female abusers, “buyers”, and/or traffickers (familial and non-familial), with high levels of sadism. Women abusers and exploiters present a unique criminological challenge because sexually abusive relationships can be difficult to identify (Turton, 2010), as female offenders usually hold a dominant or authority status over the male or female child as mothers, teachers, or caregivers (Hamilton, 2021). Additionally, female perpetrators also receive significantly lighter criminal sentencing for child sexual abuse and exploitation related crimes compared to men (Hamilton, 2021). This presentation will investigate the modus operandi of the ignored perpetrator, with real examples from survivor testimonies and online OSINT analysis.
Presentation Objectives:
· Give an overview of research conducted on female perpetrators, traffickers, and buyers
· Provide a deeper understanding of the male and female experience in child sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking done by female perpetrators
· Present an in-depth analysis of the marketing and sales cycle of human trafficking
· Discuss the modus operandi of female exploiters