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NOTE: All identifying data or language of a strong sexual graphic nature as well as obscene language have been removed from each example used on this page

One of the more popular uses of the Internet is a feature that has been steadily growing beyond the confines of its use on Inter Content Providers and that is the advent of the Instant Message. Historically, instant messaging was strictly available only to those people who subscribed to such services as America Online, Prodigy and The Microsoft Network. But, with the rise in it’s use many companies, including those very same content providers, have created their versions of an “Instant Messenger” – a stand alone program able to provide the use of IMs” to people who are not subscribers. As an emerging popular feature, many companies – especially Microsoft and America online – sought to dominate this area of communication with America Online able to establish itself as the clear leader. Over the years various other versions of an “Instant Messenger” have emerged such as ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Chat and some “cross platform” messengers such as the popular “Trillian” (which supports AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo!, and IRC).

Instant messaging exists on two environments: within the confines of a content provider or on the internet itself as a stand alone product. Both types have common features and are even able to communicate with each other. They both use “buddy lists” – which allow a person to have a list of screen names that they either engage in conversation frequently or are “watching”. When a person signs on to an instant messaging program, typically, anyone who has them on their “buddy list” will be able to see that they have “signed on” to the Internet. They can then “instantly message” them and begin a conversation. This works for both the content providers and the stand alone programs. Also, the instant messaging feature is used when visiting chat room as it provides a more exclusive environment with which dialogue may happen. To further understand, people on AIM (the America Online stand-alone IM program) are able to communicate with people on America Online and vice versa. The same holds true for people on Microsoft Network and its sister program MSN Messenger. It is important to note though that each stand alone program is unable to contact someone on a different instant messenger. Thus, people on AIM are unable to see or contact people on Yahoo Messenger and the same hold true for MSN Messenger as well as others.

This graphic is an example of a typical instant message that began a very clean and non threatening conversation. This was sent from a person on America Online to another person on America Online.

This IM was sent from someone on AIM to someone on America Online. Its intention was to advertise a site with a pornographic theme. This is one example of the rather less credible uses of instant messaging.

Typically, there are two basic ways an online predator will work. In one instance, he (or she) will begin a conversation in a friendly enough manner (whether they represent themselves as an adult or misrepresent themselves as a child) and will seek, over the course of several conversations, to gain the confidence of a target. After some time they will then steadily interject sexual content with the notion of achieving personal sexual contact with the target eventually. The other type of online predator does not waste time and will make their intentions know pretty early in the conversation. Either way, the eventual path of both types will lead to what this IM example illustrates – a sexual inquiry.