Woman spent years believing she was a paedophile until discovering health condition

A young woman has revealed how a mental health condition made her 'genuinely' believe she was a paedophile.

When Molly Lambert was 15-years-old she began to have intrusive sexual and violent thoughts which left her convinced she was a monster.

"I was 15 and I remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m a paedophile - I thought, I’m never going to forget this thought. My life is over'," she recalled.

The 22-year-old went on to recall how she spent months living in fight or flight mode, struggling to eat, sleep or be alone due to her thoughts.

"I genuinely thought I was a paedophile," she added.

Believing she was a threat to children, Molly began to change her life choices out of fear, even believing that she would have to kill herself due to being 'dangerous'.

Molly began experiencing unwanted intrusive thoughts at the age of 15 and suffered in silence for years (SWNS)

It wasn't until Molly came across a video discussing P-OCD - a type of OCD where a person experiences unwanted sexual thoughts or images about children - that she was able to get some clarity about her condition.

What is P-OCD?

According to the Sheppard Pratt, P-OCD is a rare form of OCD in which a person exhibits an obsessive fear that they are or will become a peadophile.

Intrusive thoughts related to P-OCD can often include:

• Intrusive unwanted sexual thoughts about children
• Fear that positive emotions towards children is somehow sexual
• Fear that incidental contact with children is sexual
• Fear that noticing cuteness in a child could be perceived as sexual

International OCD Foundation adds that P-OCD is a disorder of 'anxiety and uncertainty' and that a person with the condition is 'no more likely to be a pedophile than an individual who does not have P-OCD'.

For Molly, she experienced fears that she'd sexually assaulted someone in the past, another symptom related to P-OCD.

"The shame was overwhelming, I felt like a monster. I couldn’t even tell anyone what I was going through," she said.

Molly Lambert as a child (SWNS)

For years Molly suffered in silence, believing OCD was 'cleaning and tidying', until she saw a TikTok in 2021 in which a girl explained having similar symptoms her.

Recalling the moment she learnt about the diagnosis, she said: "The weight that lifted off my shoulders was crazy. I thought only freaks had this."

She began to research the condition and, after a heartbreaking sit down with her parents, received an official diagnosis in July 2025.

"My therapist said it is an awful thing to go to but that it is way more common than you would ever expect," she said.

"Getting all of that outside of me was the biggest part of my journey. It felt like I was in a war with myself, but now I knew what I was fighting."

Molly still experiences intrusive thoughts, however her therapy has taken her diagnosis from severe to mild on the diagnostic scale, with the digital PR worker now using her social media platform (@‌mollambert) to raise awareness about the condition.

She now uses her platform to raise awareness about P-OCD (SWNS)

"I get a lot of hate, but this conversation is so important for the people suffering in silence," she added.

"The scariest part is how many people might not be here anymore because of this. I remember thinking I’d be 50 and never escape these thoughts, or I would be dead.

"Always talk to someone, once you understand what it is, you realise it’s not you. It’s OCD."

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.

Alternatively, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.