Of course. If you can "aim" empathy.
Like Lom, you're confusing "empathy" with "sympathy".
You can't turn empathy on and off. It's something some people have. Psychopaths have none. It's apparent paedo's have none either.
All I said was I can sort of understand what a rapist does, and I also said I can not understand what a paedo does. That's beyond my level of empathy.
"Sort of understanding" does not mean condoning, nor does it mean I have those same tendencies. I can understand a hungry street urchin stealing a loaf of bread, that does not mean I condone it nor does it imply I would do it.