Legal Definitions - pedophile

Pedophile

A pedophile is an adult who experiences a primary and persistent sexual attraction to prepubescent children. This attraction is classified as a paraphilia. While the term describes the nature of the attraction itself, it is frequently used in legal and societal contexts to refer to individuals who act upon or seek to act upon these attractions, which constitutes child sexual abuse and is illegal and profoundly harmful.

• Example 1: A 45-year-old individual, deeply distressed by their persistent sexual attraction to young children, voluntarily seeks therapy and counseling to understand and manage these urges, ensuring they never act on them. This person would be described as a pedophile because they experience the specific sexual attraction to prepubescent children, even though they are actively working to prevent any harmful behavior.

• Example 2: A man is investigated by law enforcement after a tip-off reveals he has been communicating with a 10-year-old online, attempting to establish a relationship with the intent of meeting for sexual purposes. His actions are driven by his underlying sexual attraction to children, identifying him as a pedophile who is actively seeking to exploit a child.

• Example 3: During a criminal trial for child sexual abuse, expert psychological testimony is presented describing the defendant's long-standing pattern of sexual attraction exclusively towards young children, which is identified as pedophilia. This testimony helps explain the defendant's motivations for the alleged crimes, illustrating how the term describes the individual's specific sexual orientation towards children.