Roy was in crisis the first time I saw him. He was frightened and
desperate, his defenses were down, so he spoke openly, perhaps for
the first time in his life.

He was a homosexual who had all the features of a pedophiliac.
He had involved himself with prepubescent males, who had little
awareness of the long-term effect this sex play would have on their
development.

Roy preferred eight- or nine-year-olds and seemed to lose interest
in the boys he victimized when they developed a full crop of pubic
hair. His arousal feelings diminished when he no longer felt the
same degree of power over his victims. He had extremely intense
sexual urges and continual fantasies about young boys.

His usual approach was to become a "friend of the family" and
develop a trusting relationship, which he later betrayed by seducing
and coercing the young males into sex play. This involved touching
their genitals and persuading them to suck his penis.

He would swear them to secrecy, saying they would both be in
trouble if anyone knew. He had repeated this behavior for many
years without being caught, although some of the boys' families
had eventually limited his contact with their sons, giving various
reasons. He had never before been charged with sexual abuse. This
is not unusual. Parents frequently choose to protect themselves and
their children from the unpleasantness that ensues from an investi-

-91-