A sexual offender (also sex
offender, sex abuser, or sexual abuser) is a person who has
committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime
differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most
jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as
sexual trafficking and sexual assault. The majority of
convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a
sexual nature. Some sex offenders have simply violated a law
contained in a sexual category.
Some of the titles of crimes
which usually result in a mandatory sex-offender
classification include second prostitution conviction,
sending or receiving obscene content in the form of SMS text
messages (sexting), relationships between young adults and
teenagers that have resulted in corruption of a minor, and
any sexual contact made by the adult to the minor (child
molestation). If sexual conduct occurs, unlawful sexual
conduct involving a minor occurs.
Other serious offences are
sexual assault, statutory rape, child sexual abuse, rape,
sexual imposition, and pandering obscenity.
Wikipedia: Sex
Offender
US Legal: Sex
Offender Law & Legal Definition
Characteristics of Persistent Sexual Offenders
Psychology Today: Thinking Processes of Sexual Predators
New Hope for
Sex Offender Treatment: American Psychological Association
Sexual Predator
The term sexual predator is
used pejoratively to describe a person seen as obtaining or
trying to obtain sexual contact with another person in a
metaphorically "predatory" manner. Analogous to how a
predator hunts down its prey, so the sexual predator is
thought to "hunt" for his or her sex partners. People who
commit sex crimes, such as rape or child sexual abuse, are
commonly referred to as sexual predators.
The term is
applied according to a person's moral beliefs,
and does not necessarily denote criminal
behavior. For example, a person who cruises a
bar looking for consensual sex from someone else
could be considered a sexual predator by some.
The term "sexual
predator" is often considered distinct from "sex
offender." Many U.S. states also see these
differences legally. A sexual offender is a
person who has committed a sexual offense. A
sexual predator is often used to refer to a
person who habitually seeks out sexual
situations that are deemed exploitative.
However, in some states, the term "sexual
predator" is applied to anyone who has been
convicted of certain crimes, regardless of
whether or not there is a history of similar
behavior.