Understanding the Nexus: Cyber Sexual Abuse & Sex Trafficking

Presented by Melissa Kaiser

September 10th, 8:30am-11:00am Central Time

In recent years, the digital landscape has provided perpetrators with new tools and expanded access to exploit vulnerable individuals for sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Cyber sexual abuse crimes, including online grooming, sextortion, and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, often function as a precursor to sex trafficking, creating a dangerous and increasingly common overlap between online abuse and in-person exploitation.

This virtual training examines how traffickers and perpetrators leverage technology throughout the grooming, recruitment, and control process, while also addressing the significant challenges faced by victims within legal and justice systems that struggle to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology and increasingly sophisticated cybercrime tactics. Designed for professionals across disciplines, this session emphasizes awareness, collaboration, and practical next steps to improve identification, response, and accountability.

Objectives:

1. Raise Awareness and Shared Understanding: Participants will learn key definitions, forms, and consequences of cyber sexual abuse and sex trafficking, including how technology is used to initiate, escalate, and sustain exploitation.
2. Examine the Connection and Grooming Pathways: Participants will explore the intersection between cyber sexual abuse and sex trafficking, with particular attention to grooming behaviors, recruitment tactics, and coercive control used by traffickers and online perpetrators.
3. Identify Systemic Challenges and Next Steps: Participants will examine barriers within legal and justice systems that limit victim access to justice and accountability, and discuss proposed next steps for multidisciplinary response, prevention, and victim-centered intervention.