OFFENCES AND FANTASY 

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So what is the relationship between fantasy and paedophilia? The possibilities range from 

Of course, the facts may not be so straightforward. For example, some paedophiles report fantasies of sexual relations with women and/or men. What do these say about their paedophilia? Furthermore, what about paedophiliac sexual fantasies during sexual intercourse with an adult? 

The range of lifestyles of paedophiles is as varied as the ways in which fantasy is employed. generally, a close relationship exists between the broad contents of paedophiliac fantasy and offending. In many respects this is to be expected; it is analogous to the adult who gets aroused by touching another person then may well masturbate to fantasies of this. Similar fantasies may be "created" by men who are sexually aroused by children. 

What about cases in which fantasy is totally spontaneously created in an individual's mind and then enacted against a child? We did not come across any such cases, and they may not exist. 

There may also be substantial differences between offending and fantasy. Some men's fantasy includes sexual acts not to be found directly in their offending. A process of active negotiation may occur between fantasy and offending. For example, fantasies of buggery may be very arousing but its physical expression rejected because of 

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the physical pain it might cause. In some cases, fantasy reverses reality. The offender who imagines himself the abused victim is a good example of this. Rather than being a script or plan for offending, fantasy engages with significant aspects of the experience and lifestyle before being expressed in action. 

In addition, it is often wrong to see offending as the source of sexual relief. Much sexual offending lacks immediate sexual release, and orgasm is not characteristic of all offences. In some cases sexual arousal and not sexual relief appears to be the main motive.