I dunno, Smokey. I don't think mentally normal people molest children. That does not mean that child molesters are absolved of responsibility for their crimes - but I do think it's a mental illness. (Joe)

Well it's certainly not 'normal', but I think the great majority of abusers know what they are doing, and seem go about it quite intelligently. I think the only way to 'treat' it is as one would an addiction, as that is where the most similarities seem to lie. It does, admittedly, seem apparent that some abusers do not fully appreciate the consequences of their actions, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are unaware of them. Addicts can often convince themselves of virtually anything if it supports their addiction, and generally, the more intelligent they are, the better they can kid themselves and others.