I don’t think they are attracted to kids as much as they are just plain perverts. Anything will do but kids are the easiest targets.
I don't believe that. I think that pedophiles are attracted to kids specifically.
When I was a kid my parents had several friends who I later realized were totally gay. I never had any problem with them.
On the other hand there was a barber shop within biking distance of my house where I was sometimes sent for a haircut. One of the barbers there would sometimes "accidentally" feel up kids as he placed the cloth over them in the barber chair. I learned to avoid him, but for some reason it never occurred to me to tell my parents about this. I can't remember if I stopped going there or if the guy disappeared after a while.
I attended a boarding school during high school. One of the most popular teachers there (who was married) gave me the creeps for some reason, although he never did anything to me other than suddenly showing up in my room one time. Many years later he was arrested in a sensational case involving solicitation of young kids for sex.