You know so very little. If only your hatred-blinded eyes and mind could see. A "hug?"... You make me laugh. If you had even the slightest idea..... But, understanding them? "Yes." We try. But, more importantly, we suffer a lot in helping them understand how Satan got to them the same as he has gotten to the rest of us in various other ways.And a great many have hoped in helping their desire to be accomplished. But alas, the law won't let us.
It's not an epidemic. It is the result of a life of sin. Our laws have made it worse because they don't execute the pedophile.
The church has made it worse because of bleeding hearts like yours. Just give them a hug, and understand them, and turn them over to someone else's kids to abuse. That is real love. That is the love of Christ, letting them continue to abuse other kids. How perverse.
Stranger
BTW, "the church", has nothing to do with the court system I worked with.