Pedophilia OCD or POCD, is another common subtype of sexually aggressive OCD. People suffering from this form of obsessive-compulsive disorder fear that they could become a pedophile or sexual predator. Often times, these individuals will fear that they will be sexually inappropriate in the future, or have been inappropriate with children in the past. These fears can be about children they know (family members) or children they don’t know. It is not uncommon for people suffering from Pedophilia OCD to be reminded of past memories of interactions with children about which they now obsessively fear or question whether they may have acted inappropriately. These individuals will often have intrusive, unwanted sexually aggressive thoughts or images about children. These thoughts can be incredibly upsetting and distressing and cause someone with Pedophilia OCD to avoiding stores or public locations like schools or parks where children may be. Often times, the reason they are avoiding children or teenagers is for fear that they will act out their obsessional thoughts. It is also not uncommon for these individuals to ruminate about past events or experiences they had in the past to check/ensure that they were not inappropriate or what their intentions were.
