The Effects of Using Identity Deception and Suggesting Secrecy on the Outcomes of Adult-Adult and Adult-Child or -Adolescent Online Sexual Interactions

There is a lack of knowledge about effects of behaviors during online sexual solicitations. Our aims were to explore the prevalence of identity deception and wanting to keep the interaction a secret, and how these behaviors relate to the outcome of sexual interactions online. The participants were adults who self-reported online sexual interactions with a stranger during the last year. We separated them into groups based on the age of their contact: (1) those that interacted sexually with adults (n = 640) and (2) those that interacted sexually with a child or adolescent (n = 136). Neither the prevalence of identity deception, suggesting secrecy, nor the outcomes of the interactions differed between the two groups. Suggesting secrecy increased the likelihood of receiving a sexual picture with an adult contact, whereas using any identity deception increased the likelihood with a child or adolescent. Several deceptions as well as suggesting secrecy increased the likelihood of cybersex within both groups, while using identity deceptions mostly decreased the likelihood of meeting the contact offline in both groups. Suggesting online and offline secrecy increased the likelihood of sexual contact offline with the child or adolescent but not with adult contacts.