Are Sexual Predators Genetically Programmed?
The following hypothetical is based on an actual case and court proceeding, although some details have been changed.
A federal district court judge recently allowed an individual convicted of child sexual assault and possessing child pornography to spend the holidays with his family before beginning to serve a prison term.
Prosecutors had argued that the offender was a danger to the children of the community and asked for his immediate confinement. The offender told the judge he had been sexually abused as a child, and that this was the reason for his transgressions. He also indicated that he had been receiving treatment for his sexual behavior and now understood why he had behaved as he did.
The judge told the offender that the past victimization was not the explanation for his crimes; rather, he was “genetically programmed” to prefer children. The judge also indicated that he had “no faith in psychiatrists and their theories.”
