NCJ Number
246337
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 18 Issue: 6 Dated: November-December 2013 Pages: 666-672
Date Published
2013
Length
7 pages
Annotation
In our prior research, we have encountered a distinct category of serial, sexual offenders who invest themselves in developing unique collections of artifacts that link them to their victims.
Abstract
In our prior research, we have encountered a distinct category of serial, sexual offenders who invest themselves in developing unique collections of artifacts that link them to their victims. This behavior is counter-intuitive as it represents irrefutable proof of their responsibility for multiple serious crimes. Nonetheless, the process of collecting these artifacts and the experience of maintaining them together, and in proximity to the offender, appear to represent a psychological experience that is central to the motivation for perpetrating the crimes. In this paper, we explore five modalities of recording used singularly or in combination by some of the most prolific and egregious sexual offenders prosecuted in the past 40 years. We use these case studies as a platform for exploring the psychological dynamics underlying this behavior, and to further alert law enforcement and forensic evaluators to the existence and significance of these unique forms of crime evidence.