Minors are not able to give consent because they cannot fully understand what they are consenting to, or the emotional impact and consequences of sex. Adults are generally able to give informed consent about sexual activity and photographs of them, unless they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs or have some kind of vulnerability. Some people disagree about the age that minors are mature enough to be able to give this permission. However, in Canada, the age of consent for sexual activity is 16. But any sexual picture of a person under 18 years old is illegal.

Children are not able to give consent to engage in sexual activity, and consent is further taken away from children when sexual images of them are taken and posted on the Internet. Once an image is posted online, all control is lost over that image. The victim will experience further abuse with the knowledge that their picture is out there, being shared and viewed, beyond their control.

What did you look at online?

The idea of justifications can also be extended to the type, or category, of sexual image you are looking at online. It is important to remember that any sexual image of someone under 18 years old is illegal.

These are all illegal when used for sexual purposes:

• naturist images (nudism)
• ‘modelling’ images (modelling)
• images of children with no adult present in the image
• cartoon/manga images
• self-taken sexual images.

These images are abusive when used for sexual purposes.

The reality is that any sexual image of a minor, used for sexual purposes, is illegal. Abuse includes the victimization when the photograph was taken. Abuse also includes the continuing victimization the minor will experience knowing that they cannot control the images of them on the Internet and these images are used for sexual reasons.

The reality of viewing naturists, modelling or cartoon images is that this behaviour may act as a ‘slippery slope.’ These sorts of images might act to reinforce sexual interest in minors and lead the person viewing the images to become curious about what other sorts of material might be available. When minors are depicted in images either on their own or with other minors, where no adult is present in the image, it is important that you remind yourself that an adult will have been behind that camera. An adult will have coerced the minor(s) into posing for the camera and an adult will have taken and shared that photograph to be used for a sexual purpose.

Regarding self-taken sexual images of minors, it is important to remember that even though the minor may have consented to taking the photograph in the first place, they almost certainly will not have consented to the worldwide sharing of that image. Minors do not have the foresight to understand the consequences that sending an image of themselves may bring. They do not understand that once an image is sent that it cannot be retrieved. Once the reality of this becomes known, it can be very distressing and have a significant emotional impact on them.