Pedophilic Disorder
Pedophilic Disorder is a DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition), diagnosis assigned to adults (defined as age 16 and up) who have sexual desire for prepubescent children (American Psychiatric Association, 2013a). Any behavioral expression of Pedophilic Disorder is a criminal offense in the United States, Canada, and Europe, as well as most other places in the world.
Pedphiles come from all walks of life–male and female. Some authors differentiate between having deviant desires for children which are ego-dystonic and resisted, causing guilt, shame, and distress, vs. desires which are indulged through fantasy, associating with other pedophiles, possession and trading of pornographic images, or direct observation, self-exposure, or physical contact with a victim (Harvard University, 2010; Vachss, 2013).
Other sources concur that Pedophilic Disorder is a sexual preference, (Harvard University, 2010), and differentiate between deviant desires, and acting them out cognitively or behaviorally. In the latter case, the term Predatory Pedophile may used to discriminate between one who has desires but resists them vs. one who indulges the desires.
My pedophile was forcing a sexual act on me, and I choked to death on my own vomit. I was 6 years old. My near-death experience was not enough to deter him from further sexual abuse. The majority of pedophiles have anywhere from several victims up to 50 or more.
A pedophile will fantasize about a child; they are sexually aroused by a child and experience sexual “urges” toward children. Most psychologist believe people with pedophilia will act on it in some way.
Pedophiles expose themselves to children, they watch them and touch children in a sexual way. Pedophiles that act on their urges can destroy a child’s life. However, jail time is normally around eleven years. Their victims can suffer for decades, or their entire lives. Pedophiles steal the child’s childhood years. Pedophiles “love” children and romanticize about them. They do not believe they are harming the child with their lewd acts.
One of the most horrific cases involving a pedophile was of a young girl, Jessica Lunsford. In the early morning hours of February 24, 2005, 9-year-old Jessica suddenly vanished from her bedroom. Despite filing a missing persons report, the police could not find any trace of the missing girl for nearly a month. Finally, on March 19, her family and friends’ worst nightmare became reality as the detectives found Jessica’s remains buried in a plastic bag about 150 yards away from her residence in a densely wooded area. As for the cause of her death, it was determined to be due to suffocation caused by the lack of oxygen inside a plastic bag. A homicide investigation was launched with the aim of getting to the bottom of the case and bringing the killer to justice.
The detectives came across a property that was just 65 yards away from her house. Upon digging deeper into it, they learned that the owner, John Evander Couey, had an extensive rap sheet and was a convicted child sex offender. Thus, on March 12, 2005, John was taken into custody in August, Georgia, and brought in for questioning regarding Jessica’s disappearance.
The investigators found a break in the case a couple of days later as the suspect’s half-sister, Dorothy Dixon, allowed them to comb through her Homosassa trailer, where John used to live with her and her family. On March 14, the detectives found his and Jessica’s DNA on a blood-stained mattress found inside his closet. Thus, with enough evidence against him, the authorities arrested and charged him with the murder of Jessica Lunsford.
In early 2007, John Evander Couey stood trial for the killing of 9-year-old Jessica Marie Lunsford. On March 7, 2007, the jury returned with a guilty verdict and convicted John of all the charges against him, including first-degree murder, burglary with assault or battery upon any person, capital sexual battery, and kidnapping.
on August 24, 2007, John Couey received the death sentence, in addition to three consecutive life terms for his crimes in relation to the murder of Jessica Lunsford. However, more than a couple of years later, on September 30, 2009, the killer died of natural causes.
(The Lunsford-Couey case by The Cinemaholic)
Jessica’s father, Mark works constantly on behalf of children and has become a nationally recognized spokesman for tougher, smarter laws regarding child predators/offenders. To date, Mark has advocated for the passing of The Jessica Lunsford Act in 42 states and his mission is to pass it in all 50 states. He is one of my heroes.
