Jared Fogle's ‘mild pedophilia’ diagnosis draws backlash

INDIANAPOLIS — When a psychiatrist testifying on behalf of Jared Fogle suggested that Fogle suffered from "mild pedophilia," the term drew a quick backlash — and not just from the masses on social media.

In the wake of a diagnosis that has become the subject of scrutiny, scorn, and more than a few you-can't-be-serious quips, The Star reached out to experts in various fields to get their their opinion on "mild pedophilia."

In short, many experts acknowledge there are, indeed, degrees of pedophilia reflective of how one acts on those impulses. That said, all agreed the term is not an accepted diagnosis and, worse, could be hurtful and damaging to victims.

"This is demeaning to what children experience," said Ed Pereira, a clinical social worker at the Family Service Society in Marion who has counseled sex offenders in Indiana for 35 years. "Any sexual abuse is about betrayal, self-centeredness. It leaves children questioning their worth."

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Federal Judge Tanya Walton Pratt also did not take kindly to the term: "There's no such thing as being a mild pedophile," she said during Thursday's sentencing hearing for Fogle. "That's not a diagnosis."

Pratt then sentenced the former Subway sandwich pitchman to 15 years, eight months in prison after Fogle pleaded guilty to charges of possessing child pornography and crossing state lines to have sex with underage prostitutes.

It was during the five-hour sentencing hearing that forensic psychiatrist John Bradford of the University of Ottawa testified that Fogle suffered from "mild" or "weak" pedophilia.

Fogle, Bradford explained, fantasized about sex with pre-pubescent children, but he never acted upon those fantasies.

"Not that he doesn't have an interest in children," Bradford testified, "but he has never laid a hand on, or molested, a child."

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The Star left voicemails for Bradford but was not able to reach him to further discuss his use of the term.

Maia Christopher, executive director of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, agreed there is "fluidity" in an offender's sexual tastes.

However, she said, mild pedophilia "is not a useful term."

The concept of mild pedophilia, Christopher said, draws attention away from the issue people really are most concerned about: How do we protect our children from predators?

"It can be really fear provoking," Christopher said.

Experts define pedophilia as having a sexual interest in young children who have not yet reached puberty, usually around age 12 for girls and 13 for boys.

Fogle possessed pornographic images of children as young as 9, but, according to testimony Thursday, his sexual preference centered mostly on teens age 14 through 17. The two victims Fogle admitted he paid for sex were 16 and 17.

"The expert was probably indicating that the pedophilia, although present, is secondary to a bigger preference for early teens," said Adam Deming, a psychologist at Liberty Behavioral Health Corp. in Indianapolis who has been providing treatment and counseling to sex offenders for 25 years.

"Quite frankly, somebody classifying him as a mild pedophilic would be like classifying somebody who drinks a fifth of whiskey a day as a mild alcoholic."

For some, especially among the experts, the concern was in the use of the term "mild." But for many others, including those who flooded social media, it was the very notion that anyone could describe pedophilia with any qualifying adjective.

Courtney Curtis, the Marion County prosecutor's special victim's team division chief, agrees.

"You are either a pedophile or you aren't," Curtis said. "It's not something you can dabble in."