Paedophiles 'suffer chemical imbalance', says researcher

A Belgian psychiatrist claims paedophiles' brains differ in their chemical make-up to those of ordinary people.

After analysing 25 offenders, he found their blood contained more stress hormones than expected and significant differences in seratonin levels.

Professor Michael Maes says the brain chemical seratonin plays an important part in mood and sexuality.

He alleges the chemical differences he found in paedophiles are similar to those documented in other aggressive and violent groups.

Previously, paedophile behaviour has been more commonly linked with childhood difficulties rather than a medical condition.

Professor Maes, based at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, believes the techniques used to spot the chemical differences might now be developed into a screening test for a variety of aggressive and often sexual behaviours.

He said: "Similar findings have been made in aggression and violent disorder studies and paedophilia is a type of this behaviour.

"It probably could lead to a test but that is for the future - we must now examine the brain's receptors more closely."

He claims the findings offer hope that any imbalances could be corrected with antidepressants like Prozac - leading to a paedophile cure.