A Detroit Fire Department member is facing federal charges after investigators alleged he attempted to receive and possessed sexually explicit images involving children.
— Read on www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2026/07/20/detroit-fire-department-lieutenant-on-leave-following-federal-child-pornography-charges/
Experts warn of rise in sadistic online exploitation of vulnerable children–The Guardian
Cases of predators coercing children into producing sexual photos and harming themselves on video have surged globally in the past year according to child safety experts and law enforcement officials. Known as “sadistic online exploitation,” the predators are sometimes teens themselves.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/20/online-exploitation-children-warning
The legal system is going to have to find a way to deal with this type of juvenile offender in a manner commensurate with their early displays of depravity. These are not your typical “youthful offenders,” nor are they lures used by older predators who do facilitate the harm, but under apparent coercion. These freaks online are probably not people who will learn from their “mistakes,” let alone feel any remorse.
According to a state prosecutor, speaking on the condition of anonymity out of concern for professional reprisals, some juveniles who commit sexual abuse do not outgrow the behavior but often go on to offend as adults. Better interventions are needed for young offenders before their behavior escalates, they said.
“We just do a really bad job sometimes of recognizing dangerous kids,” said the prosecutor. “I don’t think these kids are going to grow out of it. I think they’re growing into it.”