Sex offenders are thought to suffer from deficits in their capacity to experience empathy, and this is considered to be important in the development, and particularly the maintenance, of their deviant behaviour. The concept of empathy, however, is confused. A multicomponent staged model of empathy is outlined, and it is suggested that empathy deficits may be more person-specific than has previously been thought. The evidence concerning empathy deficits in sex offenders is considered, and it is concluded that our multicomponent model offers a better way to understand and treat the empathy deficits in these men.