Perpetrators have deviant sexual fantasies about their victims. Once a bond is formed with the victims, the perpetrators act on their fantasies. Sex offenders are not typically caught until they have offended multiple times. When victims do not feel a special bond with their perpetrators, they are more likely to disclose information about the crime. Perpetrators offend due to a need for control, not because of a strong desire to have sex.
Sex offenders seek positions of authority, for example a police officer or coach.
Sexual assaults become increasingly more deviant and brutal with time. The majority of sex offenders are white, heterosexual males. Most sex offenders have a history of pyromania and animal abuse. Most sex offenders commit about 380 sex crimes over their lifetimes. The majority of sex offenders have average to above average IQ scores.