MANY RAPE VICTIMS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY OLDER THAN THEIR ASSAILANTS, AND ELDERLY WOMEN MAY BE PARTICULAR TARGET VICTIMS FOR SOME RAPISTS. THE CENTER FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF SEXUALLY DANGEROUS PERSONS IN MASSACHUSETTS HAS PROVIDED DATA PERTAINING TO THE OFFENDER, HIS OFFENSE, AND HIS VICTIM IN RAPE CASES. ANALYSIS OF THE INFORMATION REVEALED THAT OF THE 170 OFFENDERS PARTICIPATING IN THE EVALUATION, 18 PERCENT HAD VICTIMIZED WOMEN WHO WERE SIGNIFICANTLY OLDER THAN THEMSELVES, (I.E., THE VICTIM WAS AT LEAST TWICE THE AGE OF THE ASSAILANT), AND 12 PERCENT OF THE OFFENDERS SELECTED VICTIMS OVER THE AGE OF 50. THE OFFENDERS WERE PREDOMINANTLY YOUNG, WHITE, SINGLE MALES RANGING IN AGE FROM 12 TO 38. ALL OF THE SUBJECTS SHOWED DIFFICULTY WITH LIFE-ADJUSTMENT TASKS IN EARLY ADOLESCENCE OR BEFORE. QUALITY OF FAMILY LIFE WAS GENERALLY POOR FOR THE OFFENDER AND THE FAMILY STRUCTURE UNSTABLE. THE 42 VICTIMS RANGED IN AGE FROM 32 TO 81. THE MAJORITY OF VICTIMS WERE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED EITHER IN THEIR OWN HOMES OR IN THEIR OWN AUTOMOBILES BY COMPLETE STRANGERS. ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ASSAULTS WAS THE DEGREE OF VIOLENCE EXHIBITED IN THE OFFENSES; THE MAJORITY OF OFFENDERS SERIOUSLY INJURED THEIR VICTIMS. PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AT THE TIME OF THE OFFENSE WAS NOTED, BUT THE ROLE OF ALCOHOL OR DRUGS REMAINED AMBIGUOUS. IT APPEARS THAT AGE IS NO DEFENSE AGAINST RAPE; MOREOVER, THE OLDER SEXUAL VICTIMS ARE OFTEN TARGETS OF PARTICULARLY BRUTAL ASSAULTS. THE OLDER WOMAN APPEARS TO SYMBOLIZE AN AUTHORITY FIGURE OVER WHOM THE OFFENDER WANTS CONTROL. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (LWM)