The Man They Called a Monster: Forty Years On

In 1981, Cassell Australia published Paul Wilson's monograph, The Man They Called a Monster: Sexual Experiences Between Men and Boys. In his book, Wilson examines the case of Clarence Osborne, an older man who had "sexual relations" with around 2500 boys and adolescents over a twenty-year period. He uses Osborne's life to reflect on broader questions of pedophilia in Australian society. In this commentary, I revisit the book to consider its contemporary legacy 40 years on. According to Google Scholar, at the time of this writing, the book has only 50 citations, yet it is a book that continues to live on in our cultural imaginary for a variety of reasons, and in no small part due to its author, Paul Wilson, and his remarkably similar interaction with the criminal justice system in the decades since its publication. This commentary explores the historical context in which the book was written, pays particular attention to the changing social attitudes towards pedophilia, the recent controversy pertaining to its author, and discourses surrounding the sexual autonomy of minors.