Patterns of exposure to sexually explicit material among sex offenders, child molesters, and controls

Abstract

The Meese Commission Report claimed exposure to sexually explicit material leads to sex offenses and recommended examining developmental patterns and pornography experiences of offenders. This second phase of our study examines developmental patterns and sexually explicit material experiences of sex offenders, a subgroup of child molesters, and controls. Results indicate sex offenders (but not the child molester subgroup) began masturbating at a significantly younger age than controls. Sexually explicit material was used during the first masturbatory experience of 33.3% of sex offenders and 14% of controls. Child molesters were significantly older than controls when exposed to sexually explicit material. Frequency of adult use of sexually explicit material does not differ significantly among groups.