Men convicted of rape (n=10) were compared with men convicted of child molestation (n=10) and with control subjects (n=31). Current drinking habits (while not in prison) were assessed by self-report, and the extent of alcohol abuse was determined with the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test. Cognitive expectancies related to alcohol use were explored by the standard Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire. The majority of the men who committed rape (70 percent) but only one-third of the men convicted of child molestation were diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. Alcohol abuse was common in men convicted of both rape and child molestation, and the men convicted of rape expected significantly more positive effects from drinking than the control group. Both sex offender groups were the only groups to express significant alcohol-related cognitive expectancies linked to arousal and aggression. Expectancy patterns were directly linked to the antisocial personality characteristics. The study concluded that alcohol abuse was common in men who committed both rape and child molestation. Heavy drinking and the anticipation of alcohol effects such as sexual enhancement, arousal, and aggression may facilitate sexual aggression in offenders with antisocial personality disorder. 2 tables and 19 references