ABSTRACT
Legal definitions of a “child” vary from state to state, and law enforcement officers who investigate cases that involve children must rely on the law to direct them accordingly. For certain sexual offenders, the physical appearance of a child may be more important to them than the child’s age. Certain types of offenders may be attracted to prepubescent children, while other offenders may target pubescent children who appear socially and physically more like young adults (Lanning, 1995).
