repression, guilt, and speechlessness. 119 Victims in the United States have also reported feelings
of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, non-delusional paranoia, low self-esteem,
withdrawal, and worthlessness. 120 The mere knowledge of the existence and circulation of the
images of the victim’s sexual abuse causes feelings of shame, humiliation, and powerlessness. 121
Unfortunately, these feelings do not dissipate over time, but rather intensify due to feelings of
deep despair, worthlessness, and helplessness. 122 In the recent study of Filipino children,
Westerners solicited the children to participate in live digital sexual abuse via the Internet
(“webcam sex”), and the child victims demonstrated significantly higher rates of post-traumatic
stress and feelings of low self-esteem, worthlessness, shame, guilt, and being contaminated. 123
The study found that the children’s feelings were intensified after learning that the images of their
sexual abuse may be available on the Internet indefinitely. 124
Compounding the problems that child pornography victims face, a recent survey among
German victim assistance professionals found that even therapeutic professionals are ill-equipped
to deal with the type of psychological damage suffered by child pornography victims. 125 Thus, it
is difficult for victims to find effective therapeutic support. 126 The therapeutic professionals
surveyed in a German study indicated that “working with victims of [child pornographic
exploitation] is more complex than working with child sexual abuse victims.” 127 The difference
between child pornography victims’ psychological harm and victims of other crimes is the
permanent presence of the abuse material on the Internet.128 These victims, thus, have “a higher
susceptibility to post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and psychoses.” 129 Two-thirds of
professionals working with child pornography victims reported that they themselves felt “deep
feelings of helplessness” because the victims’ sexual abuse images on the Internet are
permanent. 130 Indeed, one-third of the professionals treating child pornography victims
experienced thoughts such as, “in this situation healing becomes impossible.” 131
C. Technology Is Also a Solution to Reducing Victimization
Although technology has created unique and complex problems for victims and law
enforcement, technology is also part of the solution. Technology is now being developed that can
quickly identify child pornography and remove it from the Internet, thus reducing the number of
pedophiles able to access the child pornography. 132 Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft, and Google
have already implemented software known as PhotoDNA that can quickly identify child
;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;
119 Von Weiler et al., supra note 114, at 214 (discussing how victims felt after the abuse they suffered).
120 See U.S. SENTENCING COMM’N, supra note 62, at 112 n.44, 113.
121 TERRE DES HOMMES, FULLSCREEN ON VIEW: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON THE BACKGROUND AND PSYCHOSOCIAL
CONSEQUENCES OF WEBCAM CHILD SEX TOURISM IN THE PHILIPPINES 13 (2013), available at
http://www.mensenhandelweb.nl/system/files/documents/25%20feb%202014/Rapport%20'Fullscreen%20on%20View'%20Terre%20
des%20Hommes%202013.pdf.
122 Id.
123 Id. at 41, 43.
124 See id.
125 Von Weiler et al., supra note 114, at 218.
126 See id. (discussing how counselors and therapists deal with the idea of permanence of the child abuse images online and how
difficult it can be).
127 Id. at 214 (discussing how it can be even more difficult to help victims of child pornographic exploitation than children that
experienced sexual abuse).
128 Id. at 217.
129 Id. (discussing the different psychological disorders that child pornography victims suffer from and how they are more susceptible
to these harms).
130 Id. (discussing the helplessness that some professionals deal with while trying to help victims of child pornography victims).
131 Id. (discussing further the helplessness that some professionals deal with while trying to help victims of child pornography
victims).
