Warning Signs:The Child Molester
Warning Signs: The Child Molester (Excerpted from "Sexual Predator: How to Identify Registered and Unregistered Sex Offenders") by Robert Scott, P.I. There are two basic subgroups of child molesters. Those in the first group, "pedophiles", are distinguished by the fact that they are sexually attracted to children. Those in the second group, often called "situational child molesters", are not sexually attracted to children. Rather, they act out of a variety of motives. Included in this group might be, for example, a socially retarded or generally abusive person who sees children as easy targets. Pedophiles will tend to have many more victims throughout their lifetime — sometimes hundreds. The situational child molester will tend to have far fewer victims and sometimes the molestation will be a once-in-a-lifetime event. Not surprisingly, the pedophile child molester is easier to identify through warning signs. He is driven by a sexual compulsion that often dictates certain recognizable behaviors. On the other hand, the situational child molester is much more difficult to identify due to the haphazard nature of his motives and actions. • In nine out of ten child molestations, the child molester is known by his victim. The molester may be a family member, stepfather, coach or other respected adult figure. • Three out of four molestations occur in either the home of the child or the home of the molester. • The pedophile molester may show a keen interest in children and may situate himself in close proximity to them by volunteering with youth organizations or by otherwise frequenting places where children can be found. The pedophile may be seen by other adults as having a special gift in his ability to communicate with and be liked by children. • The pedophile may seek out single mothers as a ploy to gain access to their children. • Photography may be a hobby of the pedophile. He may take non-sexual photographs of children in public places. Later, he may take sexually explicit photographs of his victims both for his own gratification and for use in blackmailing his victims into silence. • The pedophile may attempt to "court" his next victim by showering him or her with gifts, money or attention. Later, the gifts and attention are withheld from the child until he or she submits to the molester’s advances. • The pedophile molester may seek to lower his victim’s inhibitions by assisting the child in changing his or her clothes, by "sleepovers" and by showing sexually explicit material. Anytime a child reports being intentionally shown sexually explicit material by an adult, this should be considered a possible precursor to actual physical molestation. • The pedophile will often have been a victim of child molestation himself. • The pedophile will invariably be a collector of sexually explicit photographs of children. In addition, he may be in possession of news articles, books or legal information about child molestation. There are several organizations that support the pedophile belief system. If a person is found to be in possession of the brochures or other materials of one of these organizations, great caution should be exercised. http://www.crimetime.com/restricted/bonusabuse.htm