PSYC 3210U Lecture 11: Forensic Psychology - Unit 12
Unit 12 – Sex Offenders
Case Study
• Name: James K. Walters
• Date of birth: June 15, 1973
• Index offense: child molestation
• Date of offense: December 20th, 2006
Current Offense Information
• Mr. James Walters (age 33) has been charged and found guilty of child
molestation
• He had kidnapped an 8-year-old boy from his school yard at recess, and
proceeded to take the child to his apartment 7 blocks away. The child was
sodomized and forced to touch Mr. Walters. The child was able to run away
and was intercepted by a concerned citizen, who contacted the police
Childhood
• Mr. Walters lived with his mother until age 12. He never knew his father.
He showed below average performance in elementary school, and was
once suspended for his part in a physical altercation
• At age 12, Mr. Walters tried to make a 7year old boy fondle him. He was
arrested and sent to the Calgary Young Offender Centre, where he resided
for 1 year. He served the remainder of his time in Open-Custody at Hull
Home, where there was a program for young offenders
• Once he had served his time, he moved back in with his mother. By the age
of 18, he had been convicted of 3 more sexual offenses against boys (all
under 10)
Employment and Psychiatric Information
• Mr. Walters has had numerous jobs in the fast-food industry, although
none of them lasted more than 4 months.
• Mr. Walters has been diagnosed as a psychopath (PCL-R score is 37), and
has no psychiatric difficulties.
• He has started 3 treatment programs which he subsequently dropped out
of.
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Substance Use
• Mr. Walters appears to be a binge drinker as an adult (admits to getting
drunk on weekends), but not as an adolescent. Alcohol has not been a
factor in any of the sexual offenses he was convicted of
Criminal History
• Mr. Walters has had 7 convictions of child molestation (boys under 10)
since his 18th birthday. He has never been charged or convicted of any
other offense
Adult Relationships
• Mr. Walters has had 2 girlfriends as an adult, both of which lasted less than
2 months. He has never lived with anyone other than his mother
Assessments
• Mr. Walters denies any interest in young boys. This denial is corroborated
by the circumferential plethysmograph. However, viewing time was also
used (at the same time), and Mr. Walters showed deviant sexual
preference (for young children, specifically boys)
Nature/ Extent of Sexual Violence
• In 2011, 21,821 sexual assaults against adults and 3822 against children
• Probably underestimates the actual incidence
Background on Sex Offenders
What is Sexual Assault?
• Any nonconsensual sexual act by either a male or female person to either a
male or female person, regardless of the relationship between the people
ioled
- Used to not be a crime to sexually assault your spouse
• 3 levels of severity:
- Simple sexual assault
➢ No weapons
➢ Up to 10 years
- Sexual assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm
➢ Up to 14 years
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- Aggravated sexual assault
➢ More injury on victim
Consequences for Victims
• Rape Trauma Syndrome (Burgess & Holstrom, 1974)
- Acute crisis phase
➢ First few weeks after assault
➢ Severe, anxious, depressed
- Long term reactions phase
➢ Continue to be depressed
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (APA, 2013)
- Have nightmares
- Aware of their surroundings and always on guard
Classification of Sex Offenders
• Voyeurist
- Enjoy watching other people involved in sexual behavior or getting
undressed
• Exhibitionist
- Someone who is sexually gratified by exposing themselves to someone
else
• Rapist
- Raping someone who is over age of 16
• Pedophiles
- Sexual preference to children
• Child molesters
- Offending against children but not necessarily have that preference
Rapist Typologies
• Revised Rapist Typology 3 (Knight & Prentky, 1990)
- Opportunistic type
➢ Individuals who take opportunity to engage in rape
- Pervasively angry type
➢ Angry at both men and women
➢ Tend to engage in more violence
- Sexual type
➢ Sexual fantasy attached to their crimes
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Document Summary
Case study: name: james k. walters, date of birth: june 15, 1973, index offense: child molestation, date of offense: december 20th, 2006. The child was sodomized and forced to touch mr. walters. The child was able to run away and was intercepted by a concerned citizen, who contacted the police. Childhood: mr. walters lived with his mother until age 12. He showed below average performance in elementary school, and was once suspended for his part in a physical altercation: at age 12, mr. walters tried to make a 7year old boy fondle him. He was arrested and sent to the calgary young offender centre, where he resided for 1 year. He served the remainder of his time in open-custody at hull. Home, where there was a program for young offenders: once he had served his time, he moved back in with his mother.
