Images of the sex offender have changed drastically over time. Several decades ago, sex offenders were perceived as moral agents capable of distinguishing between right and wrong. As time progressed, the idea that sex offenders suffered from a medical condition that predisposed them to commit such crimes became a common belief among the general public. Sex offender laws have historically shifted according to the sentiments of the public. Currently the public tends to perceive sex offenders as being extremely dangerous and more likely to reoffend than other criminal groups. As a result, policymakers enacted laws that dramatically increased specialized control over sex offenders. Policymakers have been able to justify sex offender laws with opinion polls that demonstrated a hardening of attitudes toward criminals among Americans; however, policymakers tend to overlook the complexity of public opinion. Surveys that are typically used by legislators are traditionally broad in nature and fail to capture the complexity with which members of the public perceive criminal justice issues. In order to truly understand public sentiment, it is necessary to expose the underlying rationales and attitudinal orientations of respondents. Hence, the purpose of this study is to further explore sentiments concerning sex offenders by going beyond survey results in an attempt to determine if the fears of the public are based upon a realistic understanding of sex offenders. Specifically, the study focuses on the complexities and underlying logic of punitive and rehabilitative attitudes toward sex offenders.