In 1997 32 percent of all child exploitation cases involved computers. That figure rose to 43 percent in 1998 and 81 percent in 1999. Since its inception in 1995 Innocent Images, the FBI's Internret sting operation had seen a rise from just over 200 cases to 698 in 1998 and 1,497 in 1999. More then 100,000 new users sing on weekly with America Online, nearly 60 percent are families with children. .
Sixty percent of parents whose children use the internet at home say the restrict their children's use in some way. Thirty-seven percent restrict the types of sites there children visit, 25 percent restrict the time their children are allowed to be online, and only 12 percent restrict chat rooms or instant massaging. This is exceptionally dangerous because chat rooms and instant messengers are a refuge for pedophiles. .
Many pedophiles realize that there are more and more police going online disguised as children, but the fear of getting caught does not deter them. They are either very obsessed with having sex with a child, or they are not intimidated by the law. The average sentence is between 18 and 24 months and 70 percent never serve any jail time. Statistically the children that are molested as children pose a future risk to society. They are 14 to 33 percent more likely to molest children as adults, and they are also more likely to engage in prostitution. .
Pedophilic child molesters typically exhibit a long term pattern of abusive behavior, and assault far more people then other molesters. Most pedophiles are so focused on on child sex that they will neglect to go to work or do other activities. Three quarters of the all sexual assaults involve girls, but research shows that pedophiles are slightly more interested in boys. Pedophiles have joined online in huge networks, that encourage child-adult sex. The people on these networks share tips on how to lure children into sex, and they also help each other identify vulnerable children.