If you will allow me, I will try and explain the ambiguity you describe.
From having no sexual interest in anything (when I was a little boy) to an aoa of 3-9 now (aged 47) I have been on a journey of self-discovery, with many twists and turns in the road. There were several instances when I was a child that gave me clues (only picked up on later) that I was a gl. Such as staring at a 5 year old girl when I was 11, enough to prompt her father to complain to my parents that I was unnerving her. Of course at the time I didn't know why I was infatuated with her, I can only remember that she seemed (to me) a beautiful creature. Later when I was 15, I had a crush on a girl aged 11 at my school. No kissing, just an intense relationship based on her appearance (school uniform, cute face, y'know the score). I did not realise, or buried, my orientation during my adolescent years. I was confused, certainly, as my peers dated and lusted after the older teachers, I was always looking for the little-girl type, even in the porn mags that we all passed around behind the bike sheds, I always sought out the series of pics featuring a woman in a school uniform, etc.
I was shy, I was nervous and lacking in confidence around girls, and when I eventually started dating, I was insanely jealous and protective towards my partners. I met my wife in 1973, I was 17, she was 14, and she was innocent (I was her first boyfriend), I fell in love, and as we started a physical relationship I would encourage her to dress in a school uniform and role-play.
You must understand, even at this stage (up to age 25) I still did not realise what my sexual orientation was. It's like having a disease that no doctor had yet diagnosed. I had "it" but no-one told me. Around 1980 I started collecting (legal) pictures of little girls (cuttings from catalogues etc.) and over the following few years it dawned on me that I was different, and, more importantly, there was nothing I could do to change it. I was very much in love with my wife, and we started a family. I have two sons who are both teenagers now, they are two well balanced, bright kids who I'm sure will do well in the world. I am a proud father.
You see, it's not that I NEED to have one-on-one relationships with little girls. All the interaction I need is in my head, stimulated by pictures and the written word. I know many on this board REQUIRE personal relationships with lg's, but for me it is almost exclusively a sexual attraction, and as I believe that sexual relationships between adults and children is wrong, then I have no problem with keeping it in my head. I was outed in 1999 as I became known to the police, luckily I avoided jail and was given probation. My intention is not to offend again (that is, not to touch cp again) and live a life of celibacy till my dying day.
The police officer assigned to my case (a female) regularly visits my home (I live alone) and cannot understand why I am not out there trying to find a new partner. She cannot comprehend that I am a gl, and that I have no interest in dating women. The mere thought makes me want to hurl.
My aoa when I was 25 was 12-15, over the years it has drifted downwards, and I don't suppose it will get any lower, as babies do nothing for me. My attraction is a complex one, and it is based on the contrast between the innocence of the child, and what I want to do with them in my head. As the younger the girl, the more innocent they appear, then that explains why my aoa has gone down.
Sorry to ramble on, but I felt your question required a detailed reply. Let me know if you have any follow up questions.
Phew, I'm gonna go for a lie down.