Episode 129: When Sexual Thoughts Become Sex Crimes

Most people have had a sexual fantasy about something that would be illegal to do in reality. That’s normal. But talking about those fantasies sometimes gets people into a lot of trouble because law enforcement may look at fantasy as a sign of criminal intent. But does having a fantasy about doing something illegal and talking about it with others necessarily mean that you’re likely to do it? This is just one of many fascinating and complicated questions that arises in the area where sex, psychology, and the law intersect. Let’s talk about forensic psychology!

I am joined once again by Dr. Lucy Neville, a Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Leicester. Some of the topics we explore in this show include:

• What does the work of a forensic psychologist actually entail?
• What sex scientists can bring to legal cases that center around sex crimes, and how pseudoscience hinders our ability to seek justice.
• What is the role of sexual fantasy in sexual offending?
• How do you determine whether sexual consent was present when disputes arise in legal proceedings?
• When consensual kink becomes a sex crime.
• How do you determine whether someone is likely to offend or reoffend?
• The role of forensic psychologists in working with victims.

Check it out! To learn more about Lucy, visit her academic page here, follow @blue_stocking on Twitter, and get a copy of her book Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys.

Thanks to FirmTech (myfirmtech.com) and the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes (modernsextherapyinstitutes.com) for sponsoring this episode!

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Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.