The Hunter and the Hunted: Sex Offenders & Their Prey

RUSSELL W. STRAND
Chief, Family Advocacy Law Enforcement Training Division
United States Army Military Police School

November 16, 2010 12:00pm
Student Union Ballroom

For more information contact Dr. Keena, ldkeena@olemiss.edu,
Phone: +1-662-915-1998

We can learn a great deal from successful hunters by examining their methods, tactics, and motives. There are many similarities between people who hunt animals and sex offenders who prey on humans. They routinely ply their trade in secret. Sex offenders are also extremely cunning and extremely effective in their criminal activity. They have a great capacity to fool not only their victims but leaders as well. This presentation will explore many societal myths that enable the sex offender to operate successfully among us all without suspicion and detection. We will discuss how they deceive, why they do what they do, and how we can peer through the fog and identify them and their horrific acts. Participants will be presented up-to-date research, case studies, and strategies on understanding sex offenders from a criminal justice viewpoint. This session will take what we’ve been taught about typical offender typologies and compare what we think we know with empirical research and current state of knowledge. This contrast and comparison will facilitate a better understanding of all professionals who work with adult and child victims of sex offenders and sex offenders themselves. We are not as safe as we think. What we don’t know will hurt us—and those we try to protect.

Objectives:

• Understand the prevalence of sexual violence and identify common sex offender behaviors and motives for their crimes
• Determine the danger sex offenders pose to our society by understanding the true nature of their crimes
• Explore strategies to reduce the risk sex offenders pose to our communities

Biography

Russell W. Strand is currently the Chief of the U.S. Army Military Police SchoolFamily Advocacy Law Enforcement Training Division. Mr. Strand is a retired U.S.Army CID Special Agent with over 30 years of law enforcement, investigative and consultation experience. He has specialized expertise, experience and training in the area of domestic violence intervention, trafficking in persons, sexual assault, critical incident peer support and child abuse investigations.

Mr. Strand has established, developed, produced, and conducted the U.S. Army Sexual Assault Investigations, Domestic Violence Intervention Training and Child Abuse Prevention and Investigation Techniques courses. He is also recognized as a U.S. Army and Department of Defense subject matter expert and consultant in the area of spouse and child abuse and sexual violence. Mr. Strand continues to conduct interviews of child and adult victims of physical and sexual abuse and provides investigative and consultation support as requested in ongoing sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse investigations, interventions, and military and civilian criminal trials.