PORNOGRAPHY AND THE PAEDOPHILE - IS IT CRIMINOGENIC

There are few case-study-based reports of the role of pornography in t he lives of sex offenders in contrast with numerous studies of a surve y and statistical nature. Very little is known about the ways in which offenders process pornographic and other erotic materials as part of their offending patterns. The research reported in this study was base d on case studies of fixated paedophiles in a private clinic for sex o ffenders. The men were interviewed about a range of matters including their offending, their psychosexual histories, pornography, fantasy, a nd sexual abuse in childhood. Commercial pornography was rarely a sign ificant aspect of their use of erotica although some experience of suc h materials was typical of the men. Most common was 'soft-core' hetero sexually oriented pornography. Explicit child pornography was uncommon . However, offenders also generated their own 'erotic' materials from relatively innocuous sources such as television advertisements, clothi ng catalogues featuring children modelling underwear, and similar sour ces. In no case did exposure to pornography precede offending-related behaviour in childhood. All of the offenders had experienced childhood sexual abuse by adults or older peers. The relationship of these find ings to previous research and implications for legislation are noted.