Each year, the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology (ANZSOC) recognises emerging scholars whose research makes an outstanding contribution to the field through the Best Honours or Masters Thesis in Criminology Award.
At the 2025 ANZSOC Conference, we were delighted to celebrate Lara, recipient of this year’s award, in recognition of her Honours thesis examining the misuse of artificial intelligence in online child exploitation.
Completed during her undergraduate studies at the University of Queensland, Lara’s thesis tackles a profoundly sensitive and rapidly evolving criminological challenge. Her work combines analytical rigour with ethical care, offering timely insights into how emerging technologies are reshaping harms experienced by children online.
We spoke with Lara about what the award means to her, the research recognised by the award, and the people who supported her along the way.
What does receiving this ANZSOC award mean to you?
I was fortunate enough to be nominated by the Faculty of Criminology at the University of Queensland, particularly Emma Antrobus, Sarah Bennett and my thesis supervisor Dr Jonah Rimer, whose guidance was invaluable. To even be nominated for this award was a huge achievement in my eyes, and knowing they believed in me and my work enough to nominate me is something I am truly grateful for. I am proud of the time and effort I devoted to this work, and that commitment is reflected in the quality of my thesis. As such, receiving this award not only acknowledges my hard work but affirms the contribution of my work to the field of Criminology. I can only hope that the findings of my research can contribute in a positive and impactful way to the prevention of online child exploitation.
Could you briefly describe the work or contribution recognised by this award?
In my final year of my undergraduate degree I completed an Honours thesis entitled ‘The Dark Side of AI: The Misuse of Artificial Intelligence in Online Child Exploitation’. This work explores the ways in which offenders are utilising generative AI in the facilitation of online child exploitation, as well as examines whether this new technology perpetuates any new or unique harms towards children.
The ANZSOC committee stated that “this thesis addresses a profoundly sensitive and pressing criminological issue with remarkable care, clarity and academic rigour,” and that the research is “advancing our understanding of a rapidly evolving criminological challenge and demonstrating real-world impact. Sensitive yet powerful, Lara’s work sets a benchmark for future scholarship in this field”.
Who has inspired or supported you along the way?
I could not have done as well as I did without the help and guidance of my supervisor Dr Jonah Rimer. Beyond the guidance, he pushed me think critically about my research and improve on my own. It is thanks to his encouragement that I am so proud of my thesis because I know that it is entirely my own work. Additionally, due to the sensitive and confronting nature of the content I was researching, it was not only beneficial but vital that I had external support from friends and family. I was very fortunate to have the support of my parents and siblings, as well as my friends and partner. They encouraged me during challenging times, but also reminded me to step away when necessary, and were there for me during much needed breaks from my research.
