Sexual crimes against children and incidents of child pornography increased in 2013 while the overall crime rate fell by eight per cent compared to 2012, according to Statistics Canada.
The police-reported Crime Severity Index, released Wednesday, showed that crime across Canada continued its long-term downward trend that began in the early 1990s. The report also showed the crime severity index was down in most provinces and territories except for Yukon and Newfoundland and Labrador.
One of the only violent crime categories to increase in 2013 was sexual violations against children.
Police reported 4,232 sexual violations against children in 2013 -- 279 more than in 2012.
Sexual violations against children include: luring a child via a computer, sexual exploitation, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching and making sexually explicit material available to a child.
Sexual assaults against children are classified with all other sexual assaults, including those against adults.
Of the sexual violations against children, luring a child via a computer showed the greatest increase, rising 30 per cent in 2013, followed by sexual exploitation which was up by 11 per cent.
Other offences that were up in 2013 include: incidents of child pornography, aggravated sexual assault, extortion and identity fraud.
CHART: Police-reported crime rates in Canada, 1963 to 2013
Data from Statistics Canada
