DoubleDash: I agree with your references to the bystander effect. There is a likelihood that people might not want to get involved. It is also true that some may feel they could be victimized. However, the best way to avoid being victimized is to remove the threat from the streets. Regarding an offender's ability to cease his criminal behavior, research suggests that sexual offenders develop a sexual assault cycle. Offender's who do not offend continually based on impulse will often spend the time in between assaults searching for victims, grooming them, and planning for their next act. At the beginning of the cycle, the offender often engages in explicit fantasies about their victim pool. The offender will often then put himself in situations where he has easier access to his victim pool. The offender will then begin the stage of grooming and planning, before finally committing the assault. For someone who we both agree has committed more than one act and has never been caught, it is reasonable to assume that, after a cool-down period, they are likely restarting their sexual assault cycle. It is entirely possible that offender that we are seeking is capable of sustaining his urges for years at a time based on fantasies, planning, and anticipation for the next assault. Some people do just stop, but for most offenders it is an obsession that cannot be ignored.
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