Legal Definitions - Pedophilia

Definition: Pedophilia is a mental disorder where a person is sexually attracted to children. This means they want to have sexual contact with children who have not yet gone through puberty. It is spelled "Paedophilia" in British English. The American Psychological Association (APA) Dictionary of Psychology says that pedophilia is a type of "paraphilia." This means that it is a sexual desire that is not common or normal. People with pedophilia have a strong desire to have sex with children, and this desire does not go away over time.

While having pedophilia is not a crime, acting on it is. Many places have laws that make it illegal to have sexual contact with children. For example, in California, it is a felony to have sexual contact with a child under the age of 14. It is also illegal to possess or distribute sexual images of minors. People who are convicted of these crimes often have to register with the government and their information is made public.

Examples:

• A man who is sexually attracted to young girls and wants to have sex with them has pedophilia.
• A woman who is sexually attracted to young boys and wants to have sex with them has pedophilia.
• A man who looks at sexual images of children on the internet and saves them on his computer is acting on his pedophilia.
• A woman who has sexual contact with a child under the age of 14 is acting on her pedophilia.

These examples show how pedophilia is a mental disorder where a person is sexually attracted to children. They also show how acting on this attraction is illegal and can result in criminal charges.