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America’s most wanted pedophile Shawn Sullivan caught in London

Pedophile used Irish passport, wife and name to evade detection of police

CATHY HAYES,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, September 27, 2011, 8:32 AM

Updated Tuesday, September 27, 2011, 9:15 AM

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Shawn Sullivan photographed in London

Photo by The Sun

One of America’s most wanted criminals, pedophile Shawn Sullivan (42), has been living secretly in London. US authorities have been hunting Sullivan since 1994 for the alleged molestation of two 11-year-old girls and unlawful sex with a 14-year-old girl.

For years Sullivan, originally from Fort Benning, Georgia, had not been flagged as a fugitive by the US government. However in 2007, the worldwide police force, Interpol, added Sullivan to the most wanted list.

Since 1994 he was also given a suspended jail sentence in Ireland for sexually assaulting two 12-year-old girls. In 1996 Sullivan married an Irish woman.

According to reports in The Sun, Sullivan had an Irish passport and arrived into England undectected by using the Irish version of his surname, O’Suilleabhain. It was only when he traveled from England to Ireland last year that he was picked up by the Metropolitan Police.

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Last December Sullivan was granted bail subject to him wearing an electronic tag and abiding by a curfew.

US Marshal Service’s investigators worked with the authorities in Ireland, Spain, Switzerland and the UL to locate Sullivan. Authorities in Minnesota are now seeking his extradition to face charges in the US. If found guilty of the charges awaiting him in the US Sullivan could face 75 years in prison.

He lives near Barnes in South-West London. Sullivan will remain in the UK until the Home Secretary Theresa May has made a decision on his extradition. The order for extradition was released this February however the convicted pedophile is contesting it.

A spokesperson dealing with his case told the Daily Mail “Thursday 10 February the Secretary of State signed an order for Shawn Sullivan’s extradition to the United States of America.

“Mr Sullivan has appeal to the High Court against the decisions of the District Judge and the Secretary of State; this is therefore a matter for the courts.”

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sirpeter | Sep 28, 2011, 10:26 PM EDT

@colkelley.Serious question.If you think 75 years should be the sentence for a pedophile who abuses a child.What should be the sentence for murdering a child?One hundred years?Two hundred years? You reckon the murder of a child and the sexual abuse of a child is equal?What about the starvation of a child?What about the mental abuse of a child so they turn to drugs in later life?You know there is a little fact of life that those abused go on to abuse their own kids,not sexually,but abuse them all the same.Also it's a know fact that those who want to kill pedophiles or put them away forever are a little bit perverted themselves because they are trying to control that little bit of pedophile within themselves and use extreme anger to pedophiles as a way of convincing themselves they don't have a tendency towards it.I see alot behind a comment even if you don't realise it yourself Cokekelley.

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Trealach | Sep 27, 2011, 07:57 PM EDT

@colkelley - doesn't look like the Americans were terribly smart, they had him in 1994 and couldn't even hold him long enough for a trial - and then it took them 17 years for him to eventually get caught by the Brits - but what's new about that? Just shows the tolerance of the American justice system towards paedophiles.

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jed1982 | Sep 27, 2011, 05:37 PM EDT

He should get a Rodney King special!

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cindyohcindy | Sep 27, 2011, 10:57 AM EDT

I think there should be a special jail for them, they should not share with prisoners who have committed lesser much lesser offences... thanks

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SingleDonald | Sep 27, 2011, 09:58 AM EDT

I agree with colkelley! I cringe at castration, and what if someone was wrongly accused & convicted? I can offer a 3rd solution, which I previously mentioned here. Put pedophiles on an island, or in another isolated community, like a former leper colony. The perverts wouldn't have to worry about Megan's Law, and could come & go as they pleased, within the comfines of the restricted community. The general population, especially kids, would be free of the pedophile curse. Finally, if even a handful of female perverts would up there, the pedophiles just might learn to appreciate women, rather than pre teen girls, or boys!

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colkelley | Sep 27, 2011, 09:26 AM EDT

Only two penalties prevent a pedophile from molesting again: The death penalty: life in prison without parole. There is no effective treatment for pedophilia by either mental health therapy, chemical therapy, or even physical castration. 75 years should be the MINIMUM sentence and Ireland showed its stupidity by giving him a suspended sentence for his pedophile acts there...maybe that is why so many priest in Ireland were able to continue their criminal child-molesting careers since that sentence reflects a tolerance of child molestation that extends beyond the Church.

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