I've recently spent some time reading about FBI profiling and cases of other abductions. I've noticed that it's common in unsovled cases such as Jacob's, to have a variety of suspects, rabbit holes, conspiracy theories, and the like. I'm posting this in multiple threads, so users may comment within the context of the intended purpose of the thread. I have more to add, and will do so following input from others.
I've also concluded there are two types of child molesters who would be the most likely perp in Jacob's case, IMO. One is the Preferential offender, the other is the Situational offender.
A Preferential offender is attracted to children, and typically targets a particular age or stage of development. They are most likely to prefer boys over girls, and generally prefer targeting one or the other, not both. Preferential offenders have the potential to molest large numbers of children. They generally exhibit one or a combination of three patterns of behavior: Seduction, Introverted, or Sadistic. The seductive molester targets children who are emotionally or physically neglected. He gives the child attention and gifts, and ultimately the victim becomes willing to trade these things for sex. They often seek long term relationships with their victims, and their biggest problem is breaking off the relationship once the victim is too old. The other big problem for seducers comes when a victim tries to "leave" the relationship before the molester is ready, and that can lead to threats or violence on the victim. A sadistic molester is aroused by inflicting pain on their victims and is more likely to abduct than other types of Preferential offenders. There are cases where a seducer escalates to a sadistic offender.
A Situational offender does not have a true sexual preference for children. A well known profiler says that this kind of molester is socially awkward, may live with their parents or adult family, and will tend to molest close to home. A Situational offender typically exhibits one or more of the following behavioral traits: Morally Indiscriminate, Regressed, Inadequate, and Sexually Indiscriminant. The morally indiscriminate offender may justify their offenses by saying "why not"? An inadequate molester has very low social confidence that may lead to extreme behavior under the right conditions. A Situational offender may offend over a wide range of frequency, from a "once in a lifetime" event to a long term record of offenses. Under the right circumstances, usually brought on by a stressor in the offender's life, he may abduct a child. Such an offender will keep close tabs on an investigation, gathering newspaper clippings and interjecting himself into the investigation. He will typically have a collection of detective magazines or adult *advertiser censored*.
