The Internet offers a number of advantages for a sexual predator:
(1) anonymity
(2) relative invisibility
(3) easy access to vulnerable populations
(4) easy to give misleading information
Youth at risk for an unwanted sexual solicitation (see Table 1, page 3012):
(1) female gender
(2) age >= 14 years
(3) troubled and/or vulnerable (depressed, recent death in family, recent moving, parents separated or divorced, etc)
(4) high use of the Internet
(5) participates in chat room discussions
(6) willing to communicates on-line with strangers
(7) high risk online behavior (posting personal information, talking about sex with someone never met, intentionally going to X-rated site, etc.)
(8) accesses the Internet at someone else's home
Risk factors for becoming distressed by a solicitation (see Table 2, page 3013):
(1) age < 14 years
(2) soliciting person tried to make offline contact
(3) being solicited on a computer that is being used at someone else's home
