Adding to this something I mentioned before, the thing I think these consumers like about loli is that they represent 'purity' which is also a thing you see in some protestant sects that obsess over girls' chastity. The subtext of purity, of course, is inexperience with life and being impressionable to whatever the surrounding culture impresses on them. A common theme for both protestant weirdos and lolicons is "raising" their lust interest into sharing their values. Basically, the goal is to brainwash them into being docile and easy to manipulate, which makes sense given how most of them struggle to negotiate with adult women.

Similarly, a not insignificant number of chasers think that they can convince femboys and young transwomen to be tradwives (because cis women won't) before they get infected with the woke mind virus. Some will even try to convince transgirls to not transition because they think that the E will somehow impart the forbidden knowledge of feminism into their targets.