Sex offender attempts self-castration

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- A convicted sex offender in Springfield, Ill., told police he attempted to castrate himself after feeling the urge to abuse children.

The 59-year-old man, who was not identified, successfully removed one of his testicles with a filet knife Monday and flushed it down the toilet before calling a friend for help, the Springfield State Journal-Register reported Tuesday.

The man, who also severely injured his remaining testicle, was bleeding severely when police and paramedics arrived, but he is expected to survive.

A police report said the man told officers he was feeling the urge to touch and hurt children so he attempted self-castration to fight the compulsion.

Police said the man was convicted of a sexual offense in 1984 and spent time on a sex offender registry. However, he was no longer required to register at the time of his attempted castration.