Gary Gibson, 65, from Oregon - pictured with his wife Tabitha Abel - is described as a 'virtuous pedophile'

A self-described 'virtuous pedophile' who admits to being sexually attracted to girls as young as six has spoken about how he lives with his urges - and his plans to help other people cope with theirs.

Gary Gibson, 65, of Oregon, has set up a non-profit organisation - the Association for Sexual Abuse Prevention - to help people like him who choose not to offend.

The Christian ex-teacher, whose family has a history of incestual child abuse, is one of 1,800 members of an online forum for non-offending pedophiles.

He detailed some of his alleged family history in a series of online videos.

'My grandfather sexually abused my mother and I think at least one of his sisters, and my father’s woman was known on the streets to be one that invited the little boys into her house and did things with them,' he said in a video published last month.

'So, I think, she is a pedophile. I know for a fact my father sexually abused several of my sisters – nearly all of them.

'When I was six, my two older sisters taught me to play "go to sleep". My understanding was I was to get them to take their panties off and get them ready to sleep. I don’t think it was abuse, but it left me with the impression that little girls want to be touched.

'When I was about 12, I spent a summer with my cousins and there was some sexual games that went on there… both of these girls were five years younger. I was 12, I think one of them was seven and one of them was five.

'I knew that it was wrong, but frankly in the fifties, every male I knew was sexually attracted to children and little girls.'

Gary Gibson (pictured) has spoken about how he 'came out' as a pedophile after a 10-year-old girl, who was a foster child that lived with him, said he slept with her

In the speech, he then questioned whether pedophilia was something that could be passed down among a family, before saying he never considered himself to be one throughout most of his adult life.

I was always a little close, maybe I hugged them too tight, or did some things I shouldn’t have done, but I never penetrated a child, never – what I would call – had sex with a child. Gary Gibson, in December 2016

'I had never called myself a pedophile, but for more than 50 years I have been sexually attracted to little girls. I choose not to act on it,' he said.

'I knew I was attracted to little girls, I was always a little close, maybe I hugged them too tight, or did some things I shouldn’t have done, but I never penetrated a child, never – what I would call – had sex with a child.

'I choose not to do that, but I struggle with it.'

His struggles intensified when his first marriage broke down in the nineties, and he decided to 'spend some time out in the South Pacific', where he said there were 'a lot of little girls running around naked'.

Gary Gibson (right) is pictured marrying his current wife, British nurse Tabitha Abel, in 2005

After a couple of years he returned home, and met British nurse Tabitha Abel - woman who would become his wife - through a Christian singles dating site in 2004.

Christian former teacher: Mr Gibson said he is normally not aroused by teenage girls

They married in 2005. Eventually, they built a log cabin in Oregon, which included rooms for their grandchildren.

But he was still dogged by his desires.

'The first time I remember changing my daughter’s diaper I thought, "Am I going to touch her" or something, but I made the decision right there that was not going to happen,' he said in the video, before explaining how he and his wife chose to adopt foster children because their grandchildren did not visit enough.

Gibson says the children eventually moved on for 'other reasons', however a 10-year-old girl who had lived with him and Abel developed what he called 'false memories'.

'Now you tell me, I mean society says children never lie about sexual abuse. But here the Oregon State Police show up at our door one day and say, "Do you know why I’m here?"' the 65-year-old said.

'They proceeded to tell me this girl disclosed that I lay on the bed naked with her. I said that never happened, and then they said: “Well, she said you put your penis inside of her.” I said that never happened, and they asked me to do a polygraph.

Explanation: Mr Gibson (left) whose wife Tabitha (right) is British and from Canterbury in Kent, admitted he 'doesn't fit the standard profile' of men sexually attracted to children

'So I contacted a lawyer, this was like two days before Christmas 2010, the attorney said don’t do the polygraph.'

The first time I remember changing my daughter’s diaper I thought, "Am I going to touch her" or something, but I made the decision right there that was not going to happen Gary Gibson, in December 2016

He said it was that brush with the police that forced him to 'come out' to his wife.

'I told her I didn't do it, but this is where I'm at... I'm attracted to kids,' he said.

During a recent interview, Gibson explained why he is attracted to young girls - but not young boys or teenagers.

The 'comfortably out' pedophile, whose wife is a nurse, said he is normally not aroused by teenage girls and does not have any desire for young boys.

'When they pass 12 they tend to get into themselves, start to make themselves look older, and I like things natural - so there we are,' he told The Sun in the UK.

'When they start wearing lipstick and stuff like that I don't find it very appealing.'

Despite his attractions, Gibson added he is 'a normal everyday person'.

'I don't go around in a white van giving candy to kids in the park,' he said.

WHAT IS THE ASSOCIATION FOR SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION? ASAP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the primary prevention of child sexual abuse. It brings together mental health professionals and individuals who are sexually attracted to children. The organization provides public health education, while members provide support for non-offending pedophiles who want to avoid acting on their attraction to children. -- ASAPInternational.org Advertisement

Gibson' wife then told the British newspaper she does not consider her husband to be a pedophile because: 'most people I consider a pedophile to be a child molester – which he isn't.'

The interview then went into some more graphic details about Gibson's sexual habits.

He told the newspaper he does not seek out pornography involving children when he masturbates, but added he doesn't 'beat himself up' if he does watch scenes involving young people.

'I don't feel bad it about because it's not reality, I can differentiate between fantasy and reality,' he said.

The 65-year-old also seemed to have come to terms with his life as a pedophile, despite understanding that it makes him unpopular with many.

'If people knew I was a pedophile they wouldn't like me,' he said.

'But overall my life has gone fairly well.'

GARY GIBSON EXPLAINS 'COMING OUT' AS A PEDOPHILE IN HIS OWN WORDS My grandfather sexually abused my mother and I think at least one of his sisters, and my father's mom was known on the streets to be one that invited the little boys into her house and did things with them. So, I think, she is a pedophile. I know for a fact my father sexually abused several of my sisters – nearly all of them. Is pedophilia inherited? I don't know, but whatever inheritance I got from my ancestors I think was initialized by experiences I had as a young person. When I was six, my two older sisters taught me to play 'go to sleep'. My understanding was I was to get them to take their panties off and get them ready to sleep. I don't think it was abuse, but it left me with the impression that little girls want to be touched. When I was about 12, I spent a summer with my cousins and there were some sexual games that went on there… both of these girls were five years younger. I was 12, I think one of them was seven and one of them was five. Basically, their brother taught me to play 'doctor' with them. When I got home, one of my sisters told me she would beat me up if I ever did anything like that again. I knew that it was wrong, but frankly in the fifties, every male I knew was sexually attracted to children and little girls. Is that true or not, I don't know, but I've talked to hundreds of other people who had the same experience. It seemed very normal to me. I had never called myself a pedophile, but for more than 50 years I have been sexually attracted to little girls. I choose not to act on it. It was pretty easy for me to pretend to be like a regular normal adult male, and I got married and for 25 years my first marriage went along pretty normally. I knew I was attracted to little girls, I was always a little close, maybe I hugged them too tight, or did some things I shouldn't have done, but I never penetrated a child, never – what I would call – had sex with a child. I choose not to do that, but I struggle with it. There was no one to talk to about it, I was totally alone. And so then I was single again in the late-nineties, in 1997 and 1999 I spent some time out in the South Pacific, lots of little girls running around naked there. I struggled with it and I came back and talked to a counselor and started to get my act together while I was single, and when I told her she abandoned me. I was more at risk during that time than I probably ever have been, because I felt so alone, and like a ticking time bomb. But life went on, and Tabitha and I got married. We met on Christian Singles dating, we built a log cabin with some rooms upstairs so our grandchildren can come and visit us – I have three children, 10 grandchildren – and never had any problems with them. The first time I remember changing my daughter's diaper I thought, 'Am I going to touch her' or something, but I made the decision right there that was not going to happen. Now we decided to have foster children. Well, why didn't I tell my wife I struggled with it? I didn't feel like coming out, so we had foster children. Things went pretty well… but three years after, they left. They left for other reasons – we moved onto other things, the foster girl developed false memories. Now you tell me, I mean society says children never lie about sexual abuse. But here the Oregon State Police show up at our door one day and say, 'Do you know why I'm here?' They proceeded to tell me this girl disclosed that I lay on the bed naked with her. That never happened, and then they said: 'Well, she said you put your penis inside of her.' I said that never happened, and they asked me to do a polygraph. So I contacted a lawyer, this was like two days before Christmas 2010, the attorney said don't do the polygraph. As a result of that experience, I came out to Tabitha. I told her I didn't do it, but this is where I'm at. That I'm attracted to kids. She then encouraged me to become a licensed professional counselor. And so I promptly went online, and went to Walden University – a Master's Degree in Mental Health Counselling and almost completed it, when I was at a residency in Portland, and the students got together with the instructor. He said he wanted us to share something we are dealing with, and when I was my turn I said that they would reject me if I shared what I was dealing with. But then a girl said they wouldn't reject me, so I told them I'm sexually attracted to children and they all rejected me. They then took me in before the administrative council and they said I had to leave the premises immediately. So I left, they told me I could complete the degree by doing some 'reeducation programs' to reprogram my mind, but then they backed out on that and dismissed me from the university. That's my story. That's why I have a personal interest in helping people. Advertisement

Child protection charity The Lucy Faithfull Foundation operates a helpline (0808 1000 900) and website called Stop it Now! which aims to reduce child abuse by offering those viewing indecent images confidential and anonymous help to stop.