Forbidden Fantasies: A Qualitative Exploration of the Content of Sexual Fantasies of Adults Reporting Sexual Attraction to Minors

While a few studies have investigated the sexual fantasies of adults reporting sexual attraction to minor, none, to the best of our knowledge, have focused on the specific types of content of these fantasies. In this qualitative study, we conducted content and thematic analyses of the sexual fantasies reported by an international sample of 112 adults reporting sexual attraction to minors recruited online. Seven themes were found: <i>Minor-focused fantasies</i>, <i>Other paraphilic fantasies</i>, <i>Unrealistic fantasies</i>, <i>Incestuous fantasies</i>, <i>Adult-focused fantasies</i>, <i>Promiscuous fantasies</i>, and <i>Group sex fantasies</i>. The sexual fantasies of adults reporting sexual attraction to minors exhibited diversity both in terms of the individuals involved and in the range of sexual practices imagined. However, much of the sexual fantasy content shared by participants was predominantly of a paraphilic nature. Approximately one-third of the fantasies involved minor as sexual partners, romantic partners, or featured participants imagining themselves as minors. Additionally, nearly half of the disclosed sexual fantasies referenced other paraphilic sexual interests, such as violence, fetishism, exhibitionism/voyeurism, body fluids, and zoophilia. Results of our research highlight the possibility of co-occurring paraphilic interests in adults reporting sexual attraction to minors.