OTTAWA (Reuters) - An American sex offender who was sentenced by a U.S. judge to three years "exile" in Canada was arrested by Canadian border guards on Thursday and faces deportation, the government said.
Federal ministers and legislators had expressed deep unhappiness after a New York state judge allowed former teacher Malcolm Watson -- convicted of having sex with a 15-year-old girl -- to live in Canada on probation rather than spending time in a U.S. jail.
Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said the government had officially requested that Watson be deemed inadmissible to Canada because of his conviction. Immigration officials will start examining the case at a hearing on Friday.
"We don't want to see Canada become a haven for pedophiles or any other person committing serious crime," Day told reporters.
"We don't want U.S. courts getting the notion that we just take people here that
they would have put in jail but they instead send to Canada."
U.S. authorities say Watson's relationship with the 15-year-old was consensual. The
age of consent in Canada is 14 but it rises to 18 if the sex takes place within a relationship of trust or dependency, such as between a teacher and student.
Watson, a U.S. citizen, lives in southern Ontario near the U.S. border with his wife and children. He had commuted to work at a girls' school in nearby Buffalo, New York.
The U.S. judge ruled that Watson could return to the United States only to report to his parole officer.
Even with Canada's ridiculously low age of consent, the fact that Watson was the girl's teacher would make his actions a crime even in Canada. How ridiculous that a judge thinks that we can just send our criminals to live freely in another country.
I can't even understand what the reason would be for this sentencing. It isn't as if the man cheated the IRS. Cheating the IRS is a crime, and it is wrong, but honestly if I was given the choice between having a "tax offender" living freely next door to me or a sex offender living freely next door to me, is it any secret which one I would pick. -In case someone with the IQ of a certain New York judge is reading, I will spell it out plainly for you.........I pick the tax offender. I pick the tax offender and I bring him a plate of brownies.
Malcolm Watson didn't cheat the government (that is the sort of thing that maybe you could consider a sentence of exile for).......he had sex with ~and let me be honest here, that means he raped~a fifteen year old girl. A girl who he was in a position of authority over.
While your sentiments are in the right place, Tracie, from what I read in the story the judge might not have done what you think he did. Of course I might have misunderstood.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I read:
Watson, a U.S. citizen, lives in southern Ontario near the U.S. border with his wife and children. He had commuted to work at a girls' school in nearby Buffalo, New York.
This fellow Watson, although a US citizen, was already living in Canada. So the judge wasn't exiling the fellow to Canada he was just ordering Watson to not cross back into the US to work.
Of course you're right about the big picture. Anyone who's fooling around with a 14 year old--and is married to boot!--should be behind bars. Or something like that.
Michele sent me and since she's Canadian--she's probably got an opinion on this case as well.
Canada's like the quiet girl in the back of the class, minding her own business. Sending our problems over there just doesn't seem right.
ReplyDeletePrison. For a long, long time. Once he is tried and convicted. Yeah, this one is confusing. Where did he live/work/have residence? This is a toughie.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he's "innocent until proven guilty", but just the thought creeps me out. What about the girl? I don't care if a young gal thinks she's consenting, they really don't have a clue at that age. No matter what they think. I REMEMBER being that young.
Any older guy, especially a teacher, should be sensitive to that. And STAY AWAY. Practice self control, eh?
Good Lord, I don't even have words for this! It's just too insane. You may want to consider including this post in the "In The News" category for the next (Nov) Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse. I'm so glad you're participating with us, Tracie. The carnival is up now at:
ReplyDeletehttp://survivorscanthrive.blogspot
Hi, I'm Austin
ReplyDeleteI was reading Beautiful Dreamer and found your link. When I saw the stuff on survivors and sex offenders of course I had to read on.
In the US sex offenders aren't given the sentencing they deserve for many reasons but one I've posted about recently is the value of the victim. People do not seem to see children and women as equals so the punishment for hurting us is all but a joke.
I believe in the death penalty for sex offenders.
Austin