MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Alberto Castañeda Mondragón says his memory was so jumbled after a beating by immigration officers that he initially could not remember he had a daughter and still struggles to recall treasured moments like the night he taught her to dance.

But the violence he endured last month in Minnesota while being detained is seared into his battered brain.

He remembers Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pulling him from a friend’s car on Jan. 8 outside a St. Paul shopping center and throwing him to the ground, handcuffing him, then punching him and striking his head with a steel baton. He remembers being dragged into an SUV and taken to a detention facility, where he said he was beaten again.

He also remembers the emergency room and the intense pain from eight skull fractures and five life-threatening brain hemorrhages.

“They started beating me right away when they arrested me,” the Mexican immigrant recounted this week to The Associated Press, which recently reported on how his case contributed to mounting friction between federal immigration agents and a Minneapolis hospital.

Castañeda Mondragón, 31, is one of an unknown number of immigration detainees who, despite avoiding deportation during the Trump administration’s enforcement crackdown, have been left with lasting injuries following violent encounters with ICE officers. His case is one of the excessive-force claims the federal government has thus far declined to investigate.

He was hurt so badly he was disoriented for days at Hennepin County Medical Center, where ICE officers constantly watched over him.

Officers claimed he ran headfirst into a wall

The officers told nurses Castañeda Mondragón “purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall,” an account his caregivers immediately doubted. A CT scan showed fractures to the front, back and both sides of his skull — injuries a doctor told AP were inconsistent with a fall.

“There was never a wall,” Castañeda Mondragón said in Spanish, recalling ICE officers striking him with the same metal rod used to break the windows of the vehicle he was in. He later identified it as an ASP, a telescoping baton routinely carried by law enforcement.

Training materials and police use-of-force policies across the U.S. say such a baton can be used to hit the arms, legs and body. But striking the head, neck or spine is considered potentially deadly force.

“The only time a person can be struck in the head with any baton is when the person presents the same threat that would permit the use of a firearm — a lethal threat to the officer or others,” said Joe Key, a former Baltimore police lieutenant and use-of-force expert who testifies in defense of police.

Once he was taken to an ICE holding facility at Ft. Snelling in suburban Minneapolis, Castañeda Mondragón said officers resumed beating him. Recognizing that he was seriously hurt, he said, he pleaded with them to stop but they just “laughed at me and hit me again.”

“They were very racist people,” he said. “No one insulted them, neither me nor the other person they detained me with. It was their character, their racism toward us, for being immigrants.”

The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, did not respond to repeated requests for comment over the last two weeks on Castañeda Mondragón’s injuries.

It is unclear whether his arrest was captured on body-camera footage or if there might be additional recordings from security cameras at the detention center.

In a recent bid to boost transparency, DHS announced a broad rollout of body cameras for immigration officers in Minneapolis as the government also draws down ICE’s presence there.

ICE deportation officer William J. Robinson did not say how Castañeda Mondragón’s skull was smashed in a Jan. 20 declaration filed in federal court. During the intake process, it was determined he “had a head injury that required emergency medical treatment,” he wrote in the filing.

The declaration also stated that Castañeda Mondragón entered the U.S. legally in March 2022, and that the agency determined only after his arrest that he had overstayed his visa. A federal judge later ruled his arrest had been unlawful and ordered him released from ICE custody.

Video shows him stumbling during arrest

A video posted to social media captured the moments immediately after Castañeda Mondragón’s arrest as four masked men walk him handcuffed through a parking lot. The video shows him unsteady and stumbling, held up by ICE officers.

“Don’t resist,” shouts the woman who is recording. “Cause they ain’t gonna do nothing but bang you up some more.”

“Hope they don’t kill you,” she adds.

“And y’all gave the man a concussion,” a male bystander shouts.

The witness who posted the video declined to speak with AP or provide consent for the video’s publication, but Castañeda Mondragón confirmed he is the handcuffed man seen in the recording.

At least one ICE officer later told staff at the medical center that Castañeda Mondragón “got his (expletive) rocked,” according to court documents filed by a lawyer seeking his release and nurses who spoke with AP.

AP interviewed a doctor and five nurses about Castañeda Mondragón’s treatment at HCMC and the presence of ICE officers inside the hospital. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss patient care and feared retaliation. AP also consulted an outside physician, who affirmed the injuries were inconsistent with an accidental fall or running into a wall.

Minnesota state law requires health professionals to report to law enforcement any wounds that could have been perpetrated as part of a crime.

An HCMC spokeswoman declined to say this week whether anyone at the facility had done so. However, following the Jan. 31 publication of AP’s initial story about Castañeda Mondragón’s arrest, hospital administrators opened an internal inquiry seeking to determine which staff members have spoken to the media, according to internal communications viewed by AP.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz posted a link to AP’s prior story about Castañeda Mondragón, but his office has not said whether state authorities would pursue answers.

“Law enforcement cannot be lawless,” Walz wrote in the post on X. “Thousands of aggressive, untrained agents of the federal government continue to injure and terrorize Minnesotans. This must end.”

Castañeda Mondragón’s arrest came a day after  the first  of  two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens in Minneapolis by immigration officers, triggering widespread public protests.

Elected officials call for accountability

Minnesota congressional leaders and other elected officials, including St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, called this week for an investigation of Castañeda Mondragón’s injuries.

The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, which oversees St. Paul, urged Castañeda Mondragón to file a police report to prompt an investigation. He said he plans to file a complaint. A St. Paul police spokesperson said the department would investigate “all alleged crimes that are reported to us.”

While the Trump administration insists ICE limits its operations to immigrants with violent rap sheets, Castañeda Mondragón has no criminal record.

“We are seeing a repeated pattern of Trump Administration officials attempting to lie and gaslight the American people when it comes to the cruelty of this ICE operation in Minnesota,” Sen. Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, said in a statement.

Rep. Kelly Morrison, another Democrat and a doctor, recently toured the Whipple Building, the ICE facility at Ft. Snelling. She said she saw severe overcrowding, unsanitary conditions and an almost complete lack of medical care.

“If any one of our police officers did this, you know what just happened in Minnesota with George Floyd, we hold them accountable,” said Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum, whose district includes St. Paul.

A native of Veracruz, Mexico, Castañeda Mondragón came to Minnesota nearly four years ago on a temporary work visa and found jobs as a driver and roofer. He uses his earnings to support his elderly father, who is disabled and diabetic, and his 10-year-old daughter.

On the day of his arrest, he was running errands with a friend when they suddenly found themselves surrounded by ICE agents. They began breaking the windows and opening the doors of the vehicle. He said the first person who hit him “got ugly with me for being Mexican” and not having documents showing his immigration status.

About four hours after his arrest, court records show, Castañeda Mondragón was taken to an emergency room in the suburb of Edina with swelling and bruising around his right eye and bleeding. He was then transferred to the Minneapolis medical center, where he told staff he had been “dragged and mistreated by federal agents,” before his condition deteriorated, court records show.

A week into his hospitalization, caregivers described him as minimally responsive. As his condition slowly improved, hospital staff handed him his cellphone, and he spoke with his child in Mexico, whom he could not remember.

“I am your daughter,” she told him. “You left when I was 6 years old.”

His head injuries erased past experiences that for his daughter are unforgettable, including birthday parties and the day he left for the U.S. She’s been trying to revive his memory in daily calls.

“When I turned 5, you taught me how to dance for the first time,” she reminded him recently.

“All these moments, really, for me, have been forgotten,″ he said.

He showed gradual improvement and, to the surprise of some who treated him, was released from the hospital on Jan. 27.

Long recovery lies ahead

He faces a long recovery and an uncertain future. Questions loom about whether he will be able to continue to support his family back in Mexico. “My family depends on me,” he said.

Though his bruises have faded, the effects of his traumatic brain injuries linger. In addition to the problems with his memory, he also has issues with balance and coordination that could prove debilitating for a man whose work requires going up and down ladders. He said he is unable to bathe himself without help.

“I can’t get on a roof now,” he said.

Castañeda Mondragón, who does not have health insurance, said doctors have told him he needs ongoing care. Unable to earn a living, he is relying on support from co-workers and members of the Minneapolis-St. Paul community who are raising money to help provide food, housing and medical care. He has launched a GoFundMe.

Still, he hopes to stay in the U.S. and to provide again someday for his loved ones. He differentiates between people in Minnesota, where he said he has felt welcome, and the federal officers who beat him.

“It’s immense luck to have survived, to be able to be in this country again, to be able to heal, and to try to move forward,” he said. “For me, it’s the best luck in the world.”

But when he closes his eyes at night, the fear that ICE officers will come for him dominates his dreams. He is now terrified to leave his apartment, he said.

“You’re left with the nightmare of going to work and being stopped,” Castañeda Mondragón said, “or that you’re buying your food somewhere, your lunch, and they show up and stop you again. They hit you.”

___

Biesecker reported from Washington. Mustian reported from New York, and Attanasio reported from Seattle.

___

Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

The Suspicions Of Mr Whicher

In The Club

Dunkirk

Kiss Me First

Making Noise Quietly

Misbehaviour

Translantic

Three generations of family members of a youngster who abused her from the age of six have been convicted for the sexual offences they carried out in their family home

A young girl was sexually abused by three generations of her own family during years of abuse, a court heard. A dad, grandad and two brothers have been convicted for the offences against the girl, who can’t be named for legal reasons.

The abuse took place in the West Sussex family home, where the mother allegedly turned a blind eye. Hove Crown Court heard that the girl’s younger sister also suffered physical abuse from the family members.

The girl, who is now in her teens, said she remembered being attacked from the age of six. The court heard that she was repeatedly raped by her father and two brothers and also sexually assaulted by her grandfather, according to the Sun.

The girl’s mum, dad, grandad and two brothers have been jailed for more than 100 years after being convicted of a string of offences, including rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment. The court heard that when the girl told her mum about the abuse she was enduring she was beaten, locked in a cupboard, had her mouth taped up and went without food for two days.

The girl was burnt with cigarettes, beaten with a horse whip and spat on, the court heard. She also had any money given to her on special occasions snatched by her mother.

At age 12, the girl bravely told her teacher about the abuse as she said she was afraid to go home. She told police: “I told how my parents keep abusing me and they’ve been doing it for years. Then I started explaining all the sexual stuff.”

Her father, 43, was convicted of five counts of rape of a child under 13; one count of sexual assault by penetration of a child under 13; three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13; one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and three counts of cruelty to a person under 16.

The mother, also 43, was found guilty of four counts of cruelty to a person under 16; two counts of false imprisonment and one count of perverting the course of justice.

The grandfather, 70, was convicted of one count of sexual assault by penetration of a child under 13 and two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13. The older brother, 23, was found guilty of four counts of rape of a child under 13; one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The younger brother, 20, was convicted of four counts of rape of a child under 13; two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13; one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The family members cannot be named due to legal reasons.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Harbour previously said: “This has been a complex investigation that has had a profound impact on the two victims. Our priority continues to be ensuring their welfare and safeguarding in this highly traumatic and distressing case.

“We have worked alongside partner agencies to ensure the ongoing safeguarding of the young victims. Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for Sussex Police. We encourage all victims of rape and serious sexual offences to report their experience to us.

“Our officers have been determined to get justice in this case, and we are pleased with the guilty verdicts returned by the jury. We urge the public not to speculate about the case online as this may jeopardise the victims’ legal right to anonymity.”

Rape Crisis England & Wales works to end child sexual abuse, rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment and all other forms of sexual violence.

Call the charity’s support line free 24/7 on 0808 500 2222 or visit 247sexualabusesupport.org.uk

ALICE Kavanagh’s double page spread ‘Food and drink at York cinema is just the ticket!’ had the spin-off benefit of making me focus on the building itself in all its Art Deco style magnificence.

Could the building [the Everyman cinema in the former Odeon in Blossom Street] be termed York’s second cathedral – the ‘Celluloid Cathedral’?

Several fine, disparate buildings vie for the title ‘York’s second cathedral’.

The Minster is in pole position in the league table of magnificence, of course, but York Railway Station is often cited as second-placed, with very good reason.

Another contender is the rather ‘tucked-away’ Leetham’s Mill by the Foss between Stonebow and Fossgate, once a hive of industry but now perhaps more of a hive.

Then more up to date, a possible claimant to the title, is the Aviva building, Tanner’s Moat by Lendal Bridge.

Really? Yes, really! However, some may contend it’s reminiscent of a secret government intelligence centre.

‘Aviva Castle’ is an impressive possibility for the ‘York’s second cathedral’ accolade.

My own vote goes to the station for ‘second prize’ but readers may have other candidates in mind.

It would be interesting to hear about them.

Derek Reed,

Middlethorpe Drive,

York

What do you think?

Feel strongly about an issue? Write us a letter. Please write no more than 250 words and you must provide your full name, address and mobile number. Send your views by email to: letters@thepress.co.uk

Residents could help keep streets tidy

S ROBINSON in a letter to The Press comment’s on the state of the street’s after the refuse collectors have done their work, with items of rubbish blowing like tumbleweed down our streets.

Easily remedied by a few socially minded individuals who are proud of their streets and town and picking up rubbish.

The thing that I find more annoying is how the bins/boxes are abandoned on the walkways, I under understand that the refuse collectors are too busy to place them safely, but the thing that gets my goat is the able-bodied people who rather than move the obstructions to one side simply avoid them.

Don’t they have a thought regarding, people with wheelchairs, pushchairs, mobility scooters and people with limited visibility.

Have people become so self-centred that they don’t consider others.

What a selfish society we are becoming.

D M Deamer,

Penleys Grove Street,

Monkgate,

York

—

Kelly Somers: What’s been the toughest point in your career?

Granit Xhaka: I have two tough moments. The first one was when I moved for the first time away from my family at nearly 19 to Germany. It was very difficult for me. Everyone knows how close I am to my family and to be away from them was hard. I didn’t get the minutes I wanted [on the pitch] and I wanted to leave in January after six months, but I had my dad behind me. He said: ‘If you walk now, you will always walk away, so head down and just work.’ I did, and everything changed.

The second part is not a big secret. It was 2019 when I had this… I call it a misunderstanding… with the fans of Arsenal. Two moments where I think that I became stronger and better because it’s part of a process. It’s part of writing the whole history. On one side, very bad. On one side, I was lucky to have it.

Kelly: Now you’re back in the Premier League, have you had an opportunity to reflect on your whole period at Arsenal? Because you had some incredible highs as well as some really difficult moments…

Granit: In general, I think people just think about this moment in 2019. But I came in 2016, so to be part of a football club for seven years makes me proud… it’s not easy to be on this level for seven years. And, of course, when I left Arsenal it was a hard decision for myself and for my family because we were happy there. But I got another offer on the table where I was thinking more far [ahead] than in the moment. To be honest, I didn’t expect to be back in the Premier League after two years again. This was not the plan for myself, or for our family.

Kelly: So you never wanted to come back?

Granit: It’s not that I didn’t want to, but it wasn’t planned. When I moved from Arsenal, I signed a five-year contract at Leverkusen. So everything was planned around what happens after five years. But I always say in football, you never know where you are tomorrow.

Kelly: Why did you come back then?

Granit: Even the people closest to me were saying: ‘Why are you going back to the Premier League to join Sunderland?’ I came back because I love the challenge and I had the feeling I need a new challenge. After two years in Germany, where in the first year we won nearly everything… unbeaten in the Bundesliga, won the cup, lost the final of Europa League, which was very painful. I just had the feeling with the owner when I spoke with them – with the club, with the coach – this is the right club for me, because the people are very humble. It’s a small city like where I grew up. I just wanted to come back in a reality which I believe is the right direction for myself, for my family. I’m just happy that everything at the moment is going how I wanted it to.

Kelly: You must have expected it to go well because otherwise you wouldn’t have come here. But has it exceeded your expectations?

Granit: The first thing I said to the club was: ‘I’m not coming here to play in the Premier League for one year and to go down, because I’m leaving a Champions League club. I’m coming here to to push this project.’

Kelly: I find it fascinating, because you must have had other offers to come back to the Premier League…

Granit: It was a busy summer to be honest! I’m 33, I spoke with my brother and I said: ‘I never have had so many offers!’ The summer was very busy because every day someone else came. But I decided for myself – after 20 minutes on the call with the owner – I wanted to go to Sunderland. I was so sure.

John Wilson murdered his ex-girlfriend, 17-year-old Michelle Stewart, in 2008, and has been recalled to prison after being released on parole.

The family of a murdered teenager have said they were “right all along” after her killer was put back behind bars a year after he was paroled.

John Wilson, now 37, was given a life sentence after he ambushed his ex-girlfriend, 17-year-old Michelle Stewart, and stabbed her to death in Drongan in 2008.

Wilson was released in January 2025 after 16 years in prison, despite warnings from Michelle’s family that he would reoffend.

But he was locked up again last month for breaching his licence conditions.

In a letter to Michelle’s sister Lisa Stewart, the Scottish Prison Service confirmed that Wilson’s “licence has been revoked and the offender has been returned to custody”.

Lisa, 47, told the Daily Record the news was “music to her ears”.

She said: “When I heard, my overriding thought was that we had been right all along.

“He was never going to abide by any licence conditions that were imposed on him.

“We knew that, eventually, he would breach his licence conditions. It was just a matter of when.

“When he was first released, I said I’d give it a year before he did something. He’s made it just over a year.

“Any breach of his licence conditions – regardless of how small it may be – clearly shows that he is not reformed in any way and that he should not be released.

“To be honest, it is music to my ears that he has been recalled and that he is off the streets.”

Michelle was just minutes away from her home in Drongan when Wilson, who was 20 at the time, carried out his brutal attack.

He had been stalking the schoolgirl since their break-up and stabbed her 10 times with a 10-inch blade in front of her friends.

Michelle’s brother Kenny Jnr, a nurse, performed CPR on his sister at the scene in a desperate attempt to save her.

Wilson went on the run and was caught hours later. He pleaded guilty to the murder in March 2009 and was sentenced to serve 12 years minimum jail time, discounted from 16 years due to his guilty plea.

Minutes from one of Wilson’s parole hearings showed the murderer had not undertaken any domestic violence work in the first 14 years he spent behind bars.

The revelation left Michelle’s heartbroken loved ones “speechless”.

Lisa, who has fought tirelessly to keep her sister’s killer locked up, said: “They said he’d had no rehabilitation work in 14 years.

“He hadn’t shown any remorse for what he did to Michelle. That’s not somebody who is rehabilitated, that’s not somebody who would be safe to be released back into the community.

“I thought, what if he started a new relationship? What if they have an argument or she rejects him or does something he doesn’t like?”

Wilson now faces a fresh parole hearing.

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Michelle continued: “Basically, it will go to a hearing now and the hearing will decide whether he is released or whether he is put back into the prison system.

“We are hoping he stays behind bars.”

Since 2019, the Stewart family have campaigned to see Michelle’s Law introduced, which would see changes to the justice system, including the setting up of ‘exclusion zones’ upon an offender’s release.

This was prompted by Wilson being spotted in and around Ayr numerous times while on supervised leave since 2018.

Speaking of her anguish at the sightings, Lisa previously said: “For John Wilson to be back in the local community is not only a kick in the face to us, but it speaks volumes about the current status of victims in the eyes of the SNP government.”

In a letter to first minister Humza Yousaf at the time, Lisa wrote: “On a daily basis Mr Yousaf, I have flashbacks of Michelle lying on the pavement, lifeless, a large gaping stab wound visible on her chest, blood pouring from her stab wounds inflicted on her and her blue eyes staring straight ahead lifeless.

“You have previously stated that is a matter for the local authority, however they are required to work within the legislation set by the Scottish Government.

“You, as well as Parole Scotland, do have the power to make that decision to relocate him.

“John Wilson has the rest of his life ahead of him – to forget what he done to Michelle.

“It is too much to ask that he be relocated outwith any proximity of Ayrshire?”

It is not currently known what conditions Wilson breached to trigger his recall to prison. However, it is understood he will remain behind bars for the next six to eight weeks until a hearing takes place.

A spokesperson for the Parole Board for Scotland said: “The Parole Board does not comment on individual cases.”

Yet Cash defies the diaristic lit-girl trope with her delightfully wacky debut novel, Lost Lambs. Everything in the small-town world of the novel is made up, from the names of prescription drugs which various characters ingest to the town’s church, Our Lady of Suffering, which is suffering from a gnat infestation. In a bit of typographical experimentation, the text is blighted by gnats, too — exterminate is written as “extermignate”; natural as “gnatural”.

“Small gestures are the best,” Anna from the South East says. She remembers receiving a bicycle bell for safer cycling as a student in Oxford: “He attached it in the early hours as a surprise.”

The most interesting gift that reader Pip, from the South East, has given were bright red socks. “My other half modelled them for me, but nothing else.”

What started out as an affordable gift is now becoming a serious commitment for Londoner Marie’s husband: “He always gives me roses, one more for every year. We have been married 50 years this year.”

Fiona, from the South West, also has a rose-giving tradition with her husband, whom she otherwise describes as “romantic as a slug”. The couple lived in Hong Kong for many years, where “it is customary to send eleven red roses because ‘you are the 12th and treasured one’. That was quite sweet,” she recalls.

“Years later, he realised he’d forgotten to buy me a Valentine card so set about designing and printing one. I was presented with a sheet of white paper with a black heart in the middle.

“Ever the engineer, he had also drawn an arrow pointing to the heart and written the word ‘RED’. It still makes me laugh today.”

Best: Loving memories

The best gifts sometimes cost nothing at all – but mean the world to these readers.

Gary Horn also breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) by deleting the internet history from his Google browser to try to conceal his use of those sites.

The 40-year-old defendant, of Ruskin Crescent, Thornley, appeared at Durham Crown Court for sentence after previously admitting six breaches of the SHPO.

Caiomhe Bicknell, prosecuting, said the defendant received a suspended prison sentence in May 2020 for attempted sexual communication with a child.

But he was made subject of the ten-year SHPO, which he breached the following year, for which he was fined.

Sex offender Gary Horn escaped an immediate prison sentence despite a second breach of a court order (Image: Child Online Safety Team (COST))

Remaining subject of the SHPO, police monitoring officers discovered he had accessed various chat room sites, using alias names which were variations of his own name, in November last year.

These sites included 50Flirty.com, Granny Space, Granny Site and Xtremechat.

The court heard he failed to notify his offender risk manager that he had accessed those sites, and then wiped his browsing history, all in breach of the SHPO.

Chris Morrison, for Horn, said the defendant has lived a “stable life” with his partner of several years.

But he said at the time of the offences he was, “in a difficult place” with money and work pressures, and sought out the chat sites, “as an escape from the stresses he was going through”.

Gary Horn pictured leaving court after receiving a suspended prison sentence (Image: Child Online Safety Team (COST))

Mr Morrison said the defendant remains in work, as a forklift driver for a Newton Aycliffe car parts manufacturer.

He also acts as the main support for his partner, who has been in ill-health and underwent surgery last week.

Mr Morrison added that the defendant has suffered previously with his own mental health.

He said Horn spent time in a mental health facility for severe depression and has also, “had a struggle with the bottle”, which he has found hard to resist.

Sex offender Gary Horn pictured after receiving a suspended prison sentence at Durham Crown Court (Image: Child Online Safety Team (COST))

Relating to the content of the material he accessed online, Mr Morrison said they were not sites on which he was likely to encounter anyone of a young age.

He added that the defendant has, “expressed no desire” to go on the internet until the expiry of the SHPO.

Judge Richard Clews told Horn: “Court orders are in place to be obeyed.

“Offenders can’t be given the impression that they can flout orders with impunity.

“You accessed five different chat rooms and deleted your browsing history.

“I accept they were adult chat rooms with a low degree of likelihood of you seeking communication with a child.

“Nevertheless, they were deliberate breaches of the order to which you knew you were subject.

“Happily, little harm seems to have been caused, but the risks are plain for everyone to see.”

Judge Clews said they merited 12 months’ imprisonment, but he had to decide whether to make that immediate or suspend the sentence.

“You are described as a high risk in a number of respects, but you have a police officer designated to supervise you who will no doubt keep a keen eye on your activity.”

The judge said he had to consider that the defendant is working, “in a decent job”, and immediate prison would impact on his partner, given her health issues.

He, therefore, suspended sentence for two years and ordered the defendant to attend 25 rehabilitation activity sessions with the Probation Service and carry out 75 hours’ unpaid work.

Read next … more court stories from The Northern Echo, by clicking here

Thornley sex offender risked jail by joining ‘Granny Space’ chat

Police went to sex offender’s Newton Aycliffe over use of aliases

Ferryhill sex offender deleted apps from phone in ‘panic’

The judge warned the defendant there are still more than five years to run on the SHPO.

He said if there were any further breaches of the order or more offending in general, “the overwhelming likelihood” would be that he would have to serve the sentence behind bars.

On leaving court with his partner, Horn was confronted by paedophile hunting group members who told him he had, “dodged a bullet for the third time.”

It’s been a week since “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie ‘s mother disappeared from her home in Arizona in what authorities say was a kidnapping.

Investigators have been examining ransom notes and looking for evidence but have not named a suspect. On Friday, officers returned to 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie ‘s home near Tucson and to the surrounding neighborhood to continue their search.

Here’s what to know about the case:

The disappearance

Family members told officials they last saw Guthrie at 9:48 p.m. on Jan. 31 when they dropped her off at home after they ate dinner and played games together. The next day, family learned she didn’t attend church. They reported her missing after they went to check on her.

Guthrie has a pacemaker and needs daily medication. Her family and authorities are worried her health could be deteriorating by the day.

Collecting evidence

Authorities think Guthrie was taken against her will from her home in an upscale neighborhood that sits on hilly, desert terrain. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch matched hers, the county sheriff has said.

Investigators found her doorbell camera was disconnected early Sunday and that software data recorded movement at the home minutes later. But investigators haven’t been able to recover the footage because Guthrie didn’t have an active subscription to the service.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told The Associated Press in an interview that investigators have not given up on trying to access those images.

“I wish technology was as easy as we believe it is, that here’s a picture, here’s your bad guy. But it’s not,” Nanos told the AP on Friday. “There are pieces of information that come to us from these tech groups that say ‘This is what we have and we can’t get anymore.’”

The president of the Catalina Foothills Association, a neighborhood group, thanked residents in a letter for being willing to speak with law enforcement, share camera images and allow their properties to be searched.

Ransom notes

At least three media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes, which they handed over to investigators. Authorities made an arrest after one ransom note turned out to be fake, the sheriff said.

It’s unclear if all of the notes were identical. Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said details included a demand for money with a Thursday evening deadline and a second deadline for Monday if the first one wasn’t met. At least one note mentioned a floodlight at Guthrie’s home and an Apple watch, Janke said.

Investigators said they are taking the notes seriously.

On Friday, KOLD-TV in Tucson said it received a new message, via email, tied to the Guthrie case. The station said it couldn’t disclose its contents. The FBI said it was aware of a new message and was reviewing its authenticity.

Family appeals

Concern about Guthrie’s condition is growing because authorities say she needs daily medicine that’s vital to her health. She has a pacemaker, high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

Guthrie’s children recorded two separate video messages to their mother’s abductor and posted them publicly on social media.

Savannah Guthrie filmed a sometimes emotional message on Wednesday asking the kidnapper for proof their mother was alive. She noted that technology today allows for the easy manipulation of voices and images and the family needed to know “without a doubt” that she is alive and in the abductor’s hands.

Police have not said that they have received any deepfake images of Nancy Guthrie.

Savannah Guthrie described her mother as a “kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light” and said she was funny, spunky and clever.

“Talk to her and you’ll see,” she said.

She spoke some words directly to her mom, saying she and her siblings wouldn’t rest until they’re all together again.

Trump’s involvement

The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information about Guthrie’s whereabouts.

The White House said President Donald Trump called and spoke with Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday. He posted on social media that he was directing federal authorities to help where they can.

On Friday night, he told reporters flying with him to his Florida estate on Air Force One that the investigation was going “very well” and investigators had some strong clues.

Famous kidnappings

The kidnapping is the latest abduction to attract the American public’s attention.

Other notorious kidnappings in U.S. history have included the son of singer Frank Sinatra, the granddaughter of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and the 9-year-old girl for whom the AMBER Alert was named.