at 11:39 on October 22, 2006, EST.

BUFFALO (AP) - Jail or Canada? Malcolm Watson chose Canada.

In an unusual sentence that has immigration lawyers questioning its legality, Watson, a U.S. citizen, has agreed to stay out of the United States for the next three years as punishment for having sex with a 15-year-old female student.

The exile starts Monday for the 35-year-old former Buffalo Seminary teacher, who was arrested in April after a mall security guard noticed him and the girl sitting in a parked car for two hours.

Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark called the plea deal "a little dicey" but said the girl's family was happy with it.

Under the sentence for sexual abuse imposed by Cheektowaga Town Court, Watson can enter the United States only to report to his probation officer. Watson already lives across the border in Fort Erie, Ont., with his Canadian wife and three children.

But exiling a citizen is unheard of, said Robert Kolken, a Buffalo immigration lawyer.

"I don't see how a judge sitting in a criminal court in the U.S. can lawfully banish a citizen as a condition of sentencing," he said.

Cheektowaga Justice Thomas Kolbert could not be reached for comment.

Another immigration lawyer, Robert Berger, warned that Watson could be barred from entering Canada because of his new criminal record.

Even Watson's lawyer, Oscar Smukler, said he was surprised by the deal.

"We did some research on the question of whether Canada might consider throwing (Watson) out, which would make him a man without a country," Smukler said.

The alternative sentence? As much as a year behind bars.


©The Canadian Press, 2006


What was this judge thinking?????

luv4u said:

Exactly. Why should the U.S. use Canada as a place to get rid of unwanted people? And AFAIK, unless this guy is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, he has no right to be there anyway.

On a vaguely related note, I think I'm going to Vancouver next month.

matt said:

his wife and kids are Canadian

So, what, he'd gonna come and have sex with our female students?

Why do we always end up with your castoffs?


I was in Vancouver last weekend...I love it. Gorgeous town.

shockadelicaa said:

maybe he should be sent Austrilia

I'd choose exile!!!!! of course with my

I'd love to go to Canada!

MikeMatronik said:

Just find a fifteen year old and, well, maybe not...

fathermcmeekle said:

Teacher said:

we'd gladly take you!!
on the condition that you and meet us wonderful gals!

I like the comments Bill Maher said about pedophilia recently

"there are alot of creepy old men out thier lusting for your kids
They work for MTV, the pharmacutical industry, McDonalds....."from episode 85 podcast
0
and Im quite tired of hear this 'righteous indignation about pedophiles'


SHUT UP!

"the ones fucking your kids are Y-O-U!"
[Edited 10/22/06 15:18pm]

MikeMatronik said:

We'd love to have you!

shockadelicaa said:

but...why canada? you'd think if one wanted to go into exile for that kinda shit, they'd go someplace further away than canada.

because

emm said:

coulda taken the wife and kids and booked it to buttfuck, mongolia or someplace and went into exile there.

i would guess it's less about exile and more about "don't come back for three years"

hardly an appropriate punishment for the crime, no matter which way you look at it.
what prevents him from perving out again? no matter where he lives?

emm said:

very true. dude shoulda been locked up.

being locked up for a year doesn't necessarily stop him from perving out either

if he understands that sex with a minor is not okay
especially when you were seminary teacher

but all of this is moot as he wouldn't be allowed in this country with that criminal record. period.

edit: he's a permanent resident of canada so this isn't going to prevent him from entering the country
[Edited 10/24/06 23:16pm]

ehuffnsd said:

we don't want him!

.... Cuz Canada doesn't have 15 year olds?

Am I missing some logic here?

How is that even a punishment?
Canada's an awesome place to live. I love it.

And, as a fifteen year old female, I'd rather rather less pedophiles hanging around.

luv4u said:


poor baby... he should spend the next 30 years in a prison.



i do not know... seems to need to be given 30 years as a dish washer to think about what he did...

on a related note: if he were to have sex with a girl under 18 while in Canada the US Federal government could put him in federal prison.

ehuffnsd said:

Oops... that'll teach me to read before I respond.