Who is a "rapist" or "sexual offender"?

My opinion

A rapist/sexual offender can be anybody. They can be a minor or an adult, a man or a woman, a boy or a girl. They could be a stranger, or they could be somebody you know. It could be a family friend, a boyfriend/girlfriend, or a family member.

There is no magic way to identify a rapist or a sex offender. If they have been convicted of a prior offense, then you can use internet databases, such as Family Watchdog, to identify them in your area, but there is always somebody who hasn't been convicted, or who is going to commit a first offense.

What the sources say

"A sex offender is a person who has been criminally charged and convicted of, or has pled guilty to, or pled Nolo contendere to a sex crime. Crimes requiring mandatory sex offender registration may include child sexual abuse, downloading pornographic behavior material of persons under the age of 18, (child pornography), rape, statutory rape and even non-sexual offenses such as kidnapping. The term sexual offender is a broad term, with sexual predator being used to describe a more severe physical or repeat sexual offense. Sexual offenders are also sometimes classified into levels[1], where the highest level offenders have the most aggravating crimes and thus, the most risk to the public and usually must register as a sex offender for their entire lives." - source

"Rape, also referred to as sexual assault, is an assault by a person involving sexual intercourse with or sexual penetration of another person without that person's consent. Rape is generally considered a serious sex crime, as well as a civil assault." - source

OFFICIAL STATISTICS - Bureau of Justice Statistics

Sex offenders

• On a given day in 1994 there were approximately 234,000 offenders convicted of rape or sexual assault under the care, custody, or control of corrections agencies; nearly 60% of these sex offenders are under conditional supervision in the community.
  
• The median age of the victims of imprisoned sexual assaulters was less than 13 years old; the median age of rape victims was about 22 years.
  
• An estimated 24% of those serving time for rape and 19% of those serving time for sexual assault had been on probation or parole at the time of the offense for which they were in State prison in 1991.
• Of the 9,691 male sex offenders released from prisons in 15 States in 1994, 5.3% were rearrested for a new sex crime within 3 years of release.
• Of released sex offenders who allegedly committed another sex crime, 40% perpetrated the new offense within a year or less from their prison discharge.

Child victimizers

• Approximately 4,300 child molesters were released from prisons in 15 States in 1994. An estimated 3.3% of these 4,300 were rearrested for another sex crime against a child within 3 years of release from prison.
• Among child molesters released from prison in 1994, 60% had been in prison for molesting a child 13 years old or younger.
• Offenders who had victimized a child were on average 5 years older than the violent offenders who had committed their crimes against adults. Nearly 25% of child victimizers were age 40 or older, but about 10% of the inmates with adult victims fell in that age range.

Profile of a Sex Offender
Disclaimer: Based off of actual offender. Name and some details have been altered. This should not be used as a basis to accuse or convict any actual person. Source of conviction information is from Family Watchdog for Westminster, MD within 10 miles of McDaniel College.

Jamie was a local resident, growing up in Westminster, went to high school around here, attended Carroll Community College, and became a successful in business. Unfortunately for Jamie, there was a side business of interest as well: child pornography.

Jamie had never been convicted of any sexual offense or criminal offense. Jamie had always been a law-abiding citizen of the community, and was involved in sponsoring some after-school activities at the local middle school. This was how Jamie met his victims. Once Jamie gained their trust, Jamie would hold meetings at Jamie's house to discuss "important decisions." The student felt honored that they would actually get to make input in these decisions.

When they would come over, Jamie would invite them to come downstairs to the basement so they could be more comfortable. The photographs would begin fully clothed, as Jamie eventually coerced, and then threatened and abused power to make them remove their clothing. By blaming what Jamie did as being their fault, Jamie managed to keep most of them silent about this sexual crime. When the students quit the organizations, others wrote it off as them not being able to handle the strain of decision-making.

After 4 yours of coercing young female students, one finally came forward. Upon investigation, Jamie's photo collection was uncovered. Jamie is now on record as being a sexual offender, and will be for the rest of their life.

Now what do you think about Jamie? Is Jamie a man or a woman? This story uses a gender-neutral name and never says. How old is Jamie? A college graduate and in business, but in their 30's? 40's? Older? Or maybe in their mid-20's, fresh out of college?

Hopefully this will make you think, and break down stereotypes.