THREE CRIMINAL CLASSIFICATIONS 

COLLECTORS

“collect, maintain, and prize child pornography materials”

There are three criminal categories of collectors:

1. closet
2. isolated
3. cottage

CLOSET:

• keeps secret his interest in pornographic pictures of nude children engaged in a range of behaviours
• denies involvement with children
• materials usually purchased discretely 
• knows it is wrong that’s why he is in the closet

ISOLATED:

• chooses to have sexual activity with one child at a time
• may be involved with his own child, the neighbor’s children, nephews, nieces, friends’ children, or children in his care (such as students)
• may seek out children not known to him by travelling to another town, city, country,
• organized use of pornographic material
• distorted belief that he is not harming the child victim
• denies that fear, force, or overpowering strategies demand the child’s participation
• denial stays even when confronted with evidence that the children were frightened, trapped, and forced
• denies involvement with children
• often blames the child
• says the child’s behavior encouraged it
• physically assaults the child
• sexual activities and/or photographic sessions
• activities include inserting objects in the child’s vagina or anus
• justifies action saying it was done with “skill” and “love”
• the level of abuse and harm caused to the child does not register at a conscious level

COTTAGE:

• pedophile who sexually exploits children in groups
• financial component of pornography is non-commercial
• intent of pornography is for the relationship it creates with other pedophile collectors (a method of communication)
• networks extensively with other collectors
• when confronted often act as though they are actually concerned about the children
• believes it is the judicial system that threatens well-being of the child/children
• often say they have done more for the child than the child’s parents
• most of the children they prey on are often those who are maltreated, neglected or have absent parents
• they hold the parents responsible for the child’s participation
• he believes parents know what is going on by allowing to child to be with him

“BELIEVE IT OR NOT!” provides actual cases

Courtesy Crime Classification Manual: A Standard System for Investigating and Classifying Violent Crimes written by John E. Douglas, Ann W. Burgess, Allen G. Burgess and Robert K. Ressler.