Michael C. Seto

Michael C. Seto
Born	1967 (age 56–57)
Education	B.Sc. (1989), M.A. (1992), Ph.D. (1997)
Alma mater	Queen's University
Occupation(s)	Clinical and forensic psychologist
Employer	Royal Ottawa Health Care Group
Known for	Research onpedophiliaandsex offenders
Notable work	Internet Sex Offenders(APA books, 2013) Pedophilia and Sexual Offending Against Children(APA books, 2008) "Is pedophilia a sexual orientation?"(Arch Sex Behav, 2012)
Website	ca.linkedin /in/mcseto

Michael Chikong Seto(/ˈsɛtoʊ/;born 1967) is a Canadianforensic psychologist,sexologist,and author. He is director of Forensic Rehabilitation Research at theRoyal Ottawa Health Care Group,where his research focuses onpedophilia,sexual offenses committed against children,child pornography,risk assessment, offenders with mental disorders,psychopathy,and program evaluation.

He is editor in chief ofSexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment,the official journal of theAssociation for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers,and an associate editor of theArchives of Sexual Behavior,the official journal of theInternational Academy of Sex Research.He also serves on the editorial board for the journalLaw and Human Behavior,the official journal of the American Psychology-Law Society, as well as theJournal of Sex Research.He is an associate professor at theUniversity of Torontoand holds cross-appointments toToronto Metropolitan University,Carleton University,and theUniversity of Ottawa.

Career

Seto received a B.Sc. (1989) inbiopsychologyfromUniversity of British Columbia,completed his M.A. (1992) and Ph.D. (1997) inclinical psychologyatQueen's University,Kingston, Ontario, Canada. He worked at theCentre for Addiction and Mental Health(and its predecessor, the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry) from 1994 to 2008, before moving to theRoyal Ottawa Health Care Groupin 2008, first as a consultant and then as the director of Forensic Rehabilitation Research.

He serves as Scientific Advisor to Thorn,a company that partners across the tech industry, government and NGOs and leverage technology to combat predatory behavior, rescue victims, and protect vulnerable children.Thornis co-Founded byAshton KutcherandDemi Moore.

Research

Seto has been noted as "one of the foremost authorities" on adolescent sex offendersand on people with pedophilia.

Seto defined the termmesophilia,achronophiliainvolving attraction to middle-aged adults in their 40s and 50s, in a 2017 literature review.

Views

In describing pedophiles, Seto emphasizes that there are few outward signs. He toldUSA Today,"People would feel better if there was a profile, but there really isn't." "It can be a priest, a coach, or a teacher. It could be a person who is a trusted member of the community. They are employed. They have friends. It doesn't fit with the idea that this person is different in some way that we could notice and protect ourselves." Serial child molesters seek out vulnerable children and cultivate relationships with them, Seto said. "They are not picking children at random." Rather, "They are seeking out children who will be more receptive to their approach—children who may be socially isolated, impoverished, lacking a father figure."

Seto described child pornography offenders as often being socially isolated, spending long stretches of time online, and being secretive about their online activities. "Several studies have suggested that child pornography offenders become increasingly involved online, sometimes spending hours every day searching for more content, as well as spending time on related sites" like youth-oriented forums or chat rooms, he said.There also appears to be an age difference, according to Seto: "People on average under 35 are more familiar with the technology than those who are over 35, and the arrests reflect that."

In 2007, Seto's research team received a $66,000 (Canadian) research grant to study child pornography offenders, comparing those who do with those who do not go on to commit future offences. Ontario politicianGeorge Smithermancriticized the study and the Ontario Mental Health Foundation for funding the project, because the study subjects would receive money for agreeing to participate ($60 Canadian). Seto responded that he was unsurprised the study has generated controversy. He said "I do understand why people are concerned about this, but I hope they don't lose sight of the fact that we're doing this research to understand pedophilia and sexual offending," and that it is standard practice to pay people to take part in clinical studies.According to OMHF, "The new knowledge to be gained from the proposed study would contribute to our theoretical understanding of the origins of sexual offending against children, because it would help identify factors that influence the likelihood that someone with a sexual attraction to children will act upon that attraction."