What characteristic defines Pedophilic Disorder?

The defining characteristic of Pedophilic Disorder is a sexual focus exclusively on children. This disorder involves an adult having recurrent, intense sexual fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving prepubescent children, typically aged 13 years or younger. The essence of this disorder lies in the persistent nature of these sexual interests specifically directed towards children, as opposed to adults.

In contrast to other options, attraction to consenting adults does not pertain to Pedophilic Disorder, which is specifically concerned with children. Engagement in healthy romantic relationships does not align with the disorder, as it involves problematic and harmful patterns of behavior. Lastly, having multiple sexual partners of varying ages does not capture the core feature of the disorder, which is the sole focus on children, rather than sexual relationships with individuals of diverse ages. Thus, the core defining feature that accurately represents Pedophilic Disorder is the exclusive sexual attention directed towards children.