Identifying A Pedophile

A pedophile is someone that has an overriding sexual preference for children. Another name for a pedophile that is more commonly used is child molestor. While there is no sure way to tell whether or not someone is a pedophile, there are 4 major characteristics that are typical:

• Long-term and persistent pattern of behavior
• Sexual abuse in background
• limited social contact as teenagers
• premature separation from military
• frequent and unexpected moves
• prior arrests
• multiple victims
• planned, repeated, or high-risk attempts

• Children as preferred sexual objects
• over 25, single, never married
• lives alone or with parents
• limited dating relationships if not married
• if married, "special" relationship with spouse; pedophile will marry someone who does not have high sexual expectations or needs
• excessive interest in children
• associates and circle of friends are young
• limited peer relationships
• age and gender preference
• refers to children as "clean", "pure", "innocent", "impish", etc.
• Well-developed techniques in obtaining victims
• identifies with children (better than with adults)
• access to children - one of the most important indicators of a pedophile. Will have a method of gaining access to childre.


• activities with children, often excluding other adults
• seduces with attention, affection, and gifts
• skilled at manipulating children
• has hobbies and interests appealing to children
• shows sexually explicit material to children
• Sexual fantasies focusing on children
• youth-oriented decorations in house or room
• photographing of children
• collecting child pornography or child erotica

Typologies For Diagnostic Conclusions

The Program for Healthy Adolescent Sexual Expressions (PHASE) has developed an extensive typology which attempts to differentiate the family background of the adolescent as well as the type of offense and the recommendations for treatment modality and setting.

Type I:  Naive Experimenter - usually age 11-14, generally has no history of physical or sexual abuse, appears to be functioning well in all areas of his life, uses no force or threats, has only a few isolated incidents, and the offense appears to be situationally determined.

Type II:  Undersocialized Child Exploiter - uses some form of manipulation or enticement with his victim, is socially isolated and often alienated from family and friends, has little or no history of problem behavior, with primary personality characteristics of inadequacy, insecurity, and depression, family is both physically and emotionally distant.

Type III:  Pseudo-Socialized Child Exploiter - appears to be functioning extremely well socially and academically, no close friendships, rationalizes sexual behavior and expresses little remorse, may have history of abuse as a young child, family has no indication of problems until after disclosure.

Type IV:  Sexual Aggressive - socially and sexually active, delinquent peer group, drug and alcohol use, family is abusive and disorganized, sexual acts express anger and domination, poor impulse control, rape and cruelty fantasies, use of force and violence, character-disordered.

Type V:  Sexual Compulsive - good school performance, quiet and withdrawn, strives for perfection, family is closed and enmeshed with rigid patterns, sexual behavior serves to reduce tension and anxiety and becomes a pattern, non-contact sexual incidents.

Type VI:  Disturbed Impulsive - disturbed family history of chemical dependency or psychological problems, may have thought disorder or other psychopathology, impulsive sexual acts.

Type VII:  Group-Influenced - little "acting out" history, no significant family history, sexual act is peer influenced with purpose of gaining acceptance or attention.


Profile On Offenders

Attributes of a Rapist

• Tends to exhibit poor judgement, especially under stress
• Actual behavior appears inconsistent with his rational functioning
• Does not anticipate the consequences of his behavior
• Acts without thinking
• Fails to modify his behavior on the basis of prior experience
• Misreads the feelings of others
• Misinterprets their motives
• Projects his own characteristics onto others
• Does not separate his own interests from others
• Little capacity for self-observation
• Insight and self-awareness tend to be lacking
• Not in touch with needs or feelings
• Anger is only emotion
• Equates sex with closeness and personal worth
• Seeks immediate need-gratification
• Does not value himself or others
• Difficulty in dealing with authority figures
• Has difficulty in establishing and maintianing intimate and mature interpersonal relationships
• Manipulation and exploitation are more characteristic of the way he negotiates his interpersonal relationships
• He is not a sexually secure male
• Stereotyped impressions of men and women
• Tends to categorize women into good or bad, men into strong or weak
• Sexual encounter is getting something rather than sharing something

Aims of Rape

• Conquest and control
• Revenge and retaliation
• Sadism and degradation
• Conflict and counteraction
• Status and affection - (gang rape)

Level of Offenders

When sex offenders are released from prison, law enforcement personnel, counselors and probation officers must determine the level of risk the offender poses to our community. A point system is utilized to rate offenders as Level I, II, or III. Factors such as violence and previous criminal history are taken into consideration. Each criminal's rating may change depending on subsequent convictions and compliance with probation. A Level III sex offender is considered the highest risk.

Following is what typically occurs for each level:

Level I:  These sex offenders aren't considered an immediate, recognizable threat. Neighborhoods aren't notified when a Level I moves in. Information about them may be distributed only among local law enforcement agencies.

Level II:  These sex offenders pose a moderate threat. Neighbors receive a flier that list the offender's criminal history, address and sometimes a photograph.

Level III:  These are sex offenders who are dangerous and pose an immediate threat. These offenders are likely to reoffend. Police contact newspapers and TV stations to inform the public as to the offenders where abouts.

To find out specific information pertaining to a particular offender, or to seek information regarding offenders in your neighborhood, contact your local law enforcement agency.

Benton County: http://www.co.benton.wa.us/ (click on All Depts., Sheriff, Sex Offender Information)
Franklin County: http://www.co.franklin.wa.us/sheriff (click on Offender Watch)


The Grooming Process

Grooming is like flirting, except that when you're grooming someone, you already know that you intend to have sex with that victim. For example, not every video game player is a sex offender; but some sex offenders use such games to gain their victims' trust and interest. In these cases, playing video games is part of the grooming process. The following list (developed by a group of adolescent sexual offenders who were involved in peer-group treatment) includes examples of the types of activities teenage sex offenders use to groom their victims.

• I would be nice to her all of a sudden.
• I would take her for rides on our motorcycle or snowmobile.
• I would give her money.
• We would get into playful horseplay and wrestling around.
• I would take off their clothes during horseplay.
• We would play Nintendo together.
• I would sleep in the same room with her and climb on top of her body and act like I was asleep.
• I would play house with her.
• I would buy them toys and candy.
• I would invite them to sleep with me and I would be nude before they came into the room.
• We would have increased contact; I would have my victims sitting on my lap and would give them piggy-back rides.
• I would appear to be hugging my victim, but I was thinking sexual thoughts.
• I started by pretending to be interested in children's toys.
• I would be kind to them, and then became more than a friend.
• I would always spend my free time with my victims so I could catch on to the things they liked to do.
• I would show them Playboy magazines.