ABSTRACT
Chapter 14 addresses the importance of the suspect interview which can be an extremely lengthy and stressful process. The goal of the suspect interview is to get his side of the story and allow the offender a chance to provide an alibi or excuse for the allegation made against him. This is done by focusing on “gaining information” from the interview rather than just attempting to obtain a confession. A suspect interview requires more patience than conducting the victim interview. It needs practice and discipline. However, one advantage in interviewing sex offenders is that there is a specific approach and interview tactic for each of the identified offender types. This chapter provides the approach and interview tactics for each of the offender types previously identified and how to avoid claims of false confessions by the suspect after their interviews.
