When someone contacts me about an online
Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) offense, also referred to in many jurisdictions as
Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM), one of the first questions I ask is simple:
What question is the evaluation supposed to answer?
That may sound obvious, but it is where many psychosexual evaluations begin to lose their value.
Too often, individuals charged with online offenses are evaluated using the same framework developed for people who have committed contact sexual offenses. Those are not the same populations, and research consistently demonstrates that they should not automatically be assessed the same way.
That does not mean online offenses present little or no risk, and it certainly does not minimize the seriousness of the offense. It means that sound forensic practice requires the evaluator to understand the current research, select assessment tools that fit the referral question, and explain the findings without overstating or understating the evidence.
When a psychosexual evaluation may influence sentencing, supervision, treatment recommendations, or future legal decisions,
the quality of the evaluation matters just as much as the conclusions themselves.
What the Research Shows
One of the most consistent findings in the literature is that adults convicted solely of online CSAM/CSEM offenses,
without a known history of contact sexual offending, demonstrate substantially lower rates of subsequent contact sexual offending than individuals with documented contact sexual offense histories.
A 2025
systematic review and meta-analysis by
Clark, Coles, Lankester, Fernandes, Blackwood, Cavenham, and Dickson examined
21 studies involving 15,077 individuals convicted of at least one online Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM) offense. Across an average follow-up of approximately four years, the pooled prevalence of reconviction was
0.66% for contact sexual offenses, 3.05% for online CSEM offenses, and 3.41% for any sexual reoffense. The authors also noted that these findings were based on official conviction data, which likely underestimate actual offending, and that considerable variability existed across the included studies.
The Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse
(ATSA) has reached similar conclusions. Their review of the available research found that individuals with online-only CSAM/CSEM offenses generally present a lower average risk of future contact offending than individuals with documented contact sexual offenses.
The phrase
"on average" is important. These findings describe groups, not individuals. They should never be interpreted as meaning that every person charged with an online offense presents low risk. Instead, they provide scientific context that helps evaluators interpret the individual sitting in front of them.
Research guides the evaluation.
It does not replace individualized assessment.
Online Offending Does Not Always Follow the Same Pathway
Another important finding from the research is that online offenders are not simply contact offenders who have not yet committed a contact offense.
Research suggests there are multiple pathways that can lead to online offending. Some individuals demonstrate a sexual interest in children. Others offend through compulsive pornography use, emotional isolation, dysregulation opportunistic behavior, poor coping strategies, or other factors.
These pathways carry different clinical implications and different considerations for treatment and risk management.
Likewise, the factors associated with future contact offending are not always the same factors associated with continued online offending.
That distinction matters.
A defensible psychosexual evaluation should identify the individual's specific risk factors rather than assuming every online offense reflects the same underlying pattern.
Why This Matters
No two online offense cases are identical. Every referral deserves an evaluation that answers the specific referral question rather than relying on assumptions because the offense falls within a broad legal category.
Online offenses and contact offenses share important similarities, but they also differ in meaningful ways. The research continues to evolve, and responsible forensic practice evolves with it.
That means using current evidence, selecting appropriate assessment methods, acknowledging the limits of the data, and providing opinions that remain grounded in the individual rather than assumptions about the group.
Need a Psychosexual Evaluation for an Online CSAM/CSEM Case?
Whether you are an attorney, probation officer, parole officer, or another professional seeking a thorough, evidence-based psychosexual evaluation, choosing an evaluator who understands the current research matters.
At
Blossom and Healing Counseling and Consulting, LLC, I provide
remote psychosexual evaluations throughout Virginia in both
English and Spanish. Every evaluation is individualized, grounded in current research, and designed to answer the specific referral question using assessment methods appropriate for the population being evaluated.
Learn more about my
Psychosexual Evaluation services
If you have a case with an upcoming deadline or would like to discuss whether a referral is appropriate,
schedule a free consultation through
www.blossomandhealing.com.
