US probation officer told Irish sex offender facing homelessness ‘to go and live in tent’
An Irish man who was jailed for trying to entice a child for indecent purposes was told to “go and live in a tent” by a probation officer in the United States, the Court of Appeal was told on Tuesday.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (46) was caught in a police sting in the State of Georgia after he sent a nude selfie to an Internet chatroom user he believed was 13-year-old girl.
He later fled the US to Ireland while on probation, and has been fighting attempts to extradite him back across the Atlantic where he is wanted by the Chatham County Sheriff’s office in Georgia for an alleged breach of his bail conditions.
Mr Justice Paul Burns ruled at the High Court last October that there was no basis to refuse Wall’s surrender to US authorities and ordered his extradition.
Wall, who was remanded in custody last November, later launched an appeal against Mr Justice Burns’ decision, claiming the judge failed “to carry out any further analysis as to whether the appellant would be subject to inhumane and degrading treatment” on his return to the US.
It was further claimed that the Mr Justice Burns had also erred by failing to have regard for laws in Georgia which governed the rehabilitation of sex offenders and which were not in accordance with the Irish constitution.
At the Court of Appeal on Tuesday Shane Costelloe SC, for Wall, said the main reason his client left the US was because of Georgia’s strict sex offenders legislation. This restricts Wall from living anywhere whilst on probation that is within 300 metres of areas where children might congregate.
These areas not only included schools and parks, but also shopping malls and bus stops and had effectively made him homeless, counsel explained.
Mr Costello said this restriction had also resulted in Wall losing his job and had forced to him to live in a tent in a camp alongside other sex offenders on the outskirts of Savannah, Georgia.
He said his client has been the victim of violence as a result of his homelessness, and was forced to dig “his own latrine” in the earth because there were no toilet facilities at the camp.
When Wall first informed his probation officer that he faced being made homeless because the 300-metre rule was making it impossible for him to find anywhere to live, Mr Costelloe said his client was told to “go and live in a tent”.
Wow!! This registry is not punishment.
Wow!! This registry IS punishment. Of the cruel and unusual sort.
Someone explain to me why there is no reason this man cannot be allowed to return to his country instead of being forced into homelessness. Obviously his probation officer doesn’t give a crap about him, so let him go home and live in dignity.
This utterly disgusts me and boils my blood.
This presents a problem for Ireland, because they have have been pushing for harsher laws too, and prohibit entry for registrants wishing to visit their country. Do they back one of their own, or leave him hanging to face an even harsher and inhumane justice system?
What’s the point of being on probation when your officer tells you to go pitch a tent? We can all agree he shouldn’t of sent a nude picture to a 13 year old girl( even though it’s a cop), so is he a true threat to society or is he a money maker for law enforcement.
Sad when society cares more about animals in their natural habits than humans. Are we supposed to go back to grass houses, teepees, and caves just for having a sex offense on our record.
This is a brilliant strategy on the part of LE, where a person serves their time, then is put in a situation where rehabilitative success is virtually impossible. To pervert justice further, they make it clear that no help will be forthcoming.
This is morally wrong and those responsible will have to answer to a higher court one day, while the taxpayers for Georgia pay daily for their misdeeds. Tens of thousands of dollars will now go to warehousing this person while victims continue to get shortchanged on help. Brilliant strategy indeed.
It is morally wrong. It has gotten innocent children in Georgia murdered. I can name them. But the scumbag legislators surely can’t. They don’t care.
The Hit Lists have nothing to do with public safety or protecting children. It is far past time to stop allowing people to repeat those lies.
Answer to a higher court? LE should answer to a mob of homeless moving in.
‘Pig cops should be living in a sty’ may not be the sort of observation that will help advance our cause.
Of all the people I blame for this situation— the Georgia legislature, the Georgia state probation office, the Irish courts, and the offender himself— I put police officers (if that’s what we mean by “pig cops” low down on the list.
And what has bootlicking accomplished thus far?
Your question makes no sense.
When we beat Sheriff Long in the 11th Cir., did we call him a pig?
You are right. It really helped that everyone was so nice to Mr. Long. That turned him into a reasonable person who did the right thing.
Bullies and terrorists understand one thing. Registry supporters are garbage. Law enforcement that thinks Registries should exist need to be decimated. Their budgets need to be destroyed and they should be kept dysfunctional in as many ways as possible. That is what I focus on. Then they have to concentrate on actual law enforcement and don’t have the resources to play with their idiotic Registries.
Inhumane and degrading treatment describes the registry hook, line, and sinker. Wonder if Mr. price club membership would still disagree by kicking the can down the field. Hope you a happy what you helped create.
stumbled on this video today Interesting about florida reg citizens and tent city
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwmjvdZwJBQ
Laws without justice is tyranny.