Eye-catching headlines such as “Sixty people charged in child-porn crackdown” explode in the media with alarming frequency, giving the impression that our communities are awash with perverts. But what exactly do we know about these crimes and those who commit them? Who produces child cyberpornography? Who distributes it? Who consumes it? And is there a link between viewing and abuse?

Seeking answers to these questions, Francis Fortin and Patrice Corriveau infiltrated child-porn user groups and compared their findings to scholarship on the subject. Who Is Bob_34? breaks down popular perceptions by opening a window on a clandestine world populated by a spectrum of cyberpedophiles, ranging from occasional image collectors to sex abusers who lure and assault children. Contrary to popular perceptions, the typical cyberpedophile is in his mid-thirties and grew up using the Internet. He often believes his actions are justifiable and takes pride in collecting and sharing child porn.

This timely book reveals that this contemporary phenomenon is much more complicated than the media and commissioned reports suggest.