The Houston Press, a newspaper in Texas has been forced to apologise after a list of the 'top 10 hottest sex offenders' it published, caused an uproar.
The online article also listed the women's crimes and the age of their victims. One was as young as two years old.
Although the article was in a funny tone and in most cases years old mug shots of the offenders were used, it however caused a deluge of complaints from readers.
Author Richard Connelly admitted that he had intended the headline and content to 'shock' and claims the fact he might have been glamorising and trivialising child rape 'did not cross my mind.'
"That was never the intent, 'I hope that would be obvious, but it seems not," The Daily Mail reported him as writing.
"I can only say the intention was to shock (in what I hoped would be a positive way) and not to offend.
{{/usCountry}}"I can only say the intention was to shock (in what I hoped would be a positive way) and not to offend.
{{/usCountry}}"To a lot of people, I failed miserably. I can understand that, and I apologise to them." he added.