Children who molest children are society's dark little secret. That's exactly why lay persons, as well as professionals, should read this chilling portrait of male adolescent sex offenders. It is an authentic silhouette of their characteristics and conduct which help the reader, indeed, beware. Daring to peek into this shadowy corner of histories and anecdotes will result in sharpened insight into predatory behavior that devastates the innocence of childhood. That insight, fueled by the information in this book, can help preserve a precious purity.

This personal account gifts the reader with:

• Thinking errors in male adolescent sex offenders.
• Ways to teach morality to children who have already committed immoral acts.
• More than 350 myths and faulty beliefs which adolescent sex offenders act on.
• Cautions to the general public about signs to watch for .
• Details of essential treatment which must be internalized if the offender is to return to society.

Some information in this book is probably available in professional journals and books, but not in an anecdotal style which the author has deliberately adopted to encourage generalized readership about this serious social issue.

Joyce F. Lakey is a trained and experienced writer and therapist, with an undergraduate degree in journalism, and a master's degree in agency counseling. Her many freelance stories have appeared in the popular press, and she has contributed 17 scholarly articles to professional journals.

This account is based on 15 years of experience as a therapist with adolescent sex offenders at a residential facility for male delinquents and two psychiatric hospitals. She intends for this book to unveil the mysteries surrounding children who molest children and give the reader a heightened awareness of the character and danger of such offenders.

The author may be reached at:  joylaura@aol.com

They think excessively and nearly exclusively of sex, about every 15 seconds of their waking hours, and they perceive that the most innocent comment or event carries immense sexual implications.  They have experienced sexuality in ways which shock and revile an ordinary person.  Their patterns of lies and manipulation have led them to assume little or no responsibility for their behavior and self-appointed exemption from the rules the rest of us choose to follow.  The bizarre and damaging behavior of adolescent male sex offenders knows no boundaries.

A youngster inflicted bite and sucking wounds over the body of a 17-month-old boy--on his buttocks, upper thighs, lower abdomen, above and below his genitalia, before nearly biting off the toddler’s penis.  Many tricked small children into sexual activities with some common and not so common ploys:  invitations to play “house” or “doctor,” hide and seek, truth and dare or spin the bottle.  Pretenses of being able to tell the future by touching intimate parts of a victim’s body; threats; bribes such as money, toys, sports equipment, clothes, candy, friendship, outings and cigarettes (an offender complained that promising cigarettes was just too expensive for the chance to molest) are common.  One of the most outrageous ruses was that of Loren (more on Loren in Chapter 20) who cautioned his little victims, “Don’t ever let anyone touch you there,” as he fondled the child’s private parts.

A boy was so attracted to buttocks that he stalked girls, approached each one from behind, grabbed her and pressed her buttocks against his body while clutching her breasts; then he ran away.  Another stole girls’ shoes, brought them home to masturbate into them in front of his mother and sister, closely watching their reactions.  A third was deviately aroused by female voices on the phone.  After several calls, he was so excited that he forgot and left his phone number when asked to do so by the female answering machine voice.