An empirical study of the personality characteristics of internet sex offenders

The present study evaluated the personality characteristics and psychopathology of internet sex offenders (ISOs) using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Second Edition (MMPI-2) to determine whether ISO personality profiles are different to those of general sex offenders (GSOs; e.g. child molesters and rapists). The ISOs consisted of 48 convicted males referred to a private sex offender treatment facility for a psychosexual risk assessment. The GSOs consisted of 104 incarcerated non-internet or general sex offenders. Findings indicated that ISOs scored significantly lower on the following scales: L, F, Pd and Sc. A comparison of the MMPI-2 scores of the ISO and GSO groups indicated that ISOs are a heterogeneous group with considerable within-group differences. Current findings are consistent with the existing literature on the limited utility of the MMPI-2 in differentiating between subtypes of sex offenders.