T
Traci Steele
Guest
http://savannahnow.com/news/2010-06-10/sex-offender-indicted-new-cases
A convicted sex offender who never registered with Chatham County
authorities was indicted Wednesday on eight counts of molesting a child.
Juan Miguel Santiago, 33, of Savannah, committed aggravated child
molestation on four occasions, all involving the same victim, the
Chatham County grand jury ruled.
The victim was "a child under 10 years of age," the indictment said.
The same indictment charges Santiago with aggravated sexual battery on
the victim, four counts of child molestation and a single count of
enticing a child for indecent purposes - all involving the same child.
The enticing charge involved enticing the victim to watch a pornographic
movie "to learn the actions portrayed,'' the indictment charges.
The incidents occurred between June 1, 2006, and March 13 of this year,
the indictment said.
Santiago remained in the Chatham County jail without bond Wednesday,
where Liberty County officials have filed a hold on him, jail officials
said. He was convicted of child molestation in 2004 in Liberty County
and sentenced to eight years on probation.
On March 17, Garden City police arrested Santiago for allegedly
molesting a child at his Savannah Pines home.
Santiago, his wife and family moved to Savannah in 2009, and it was
Santiago's wife who reported him to police.
Despite his prior conviction, Santiago, who was kicked out of his home
here, never registered as a sex offender.
State Department of Corrections spokeswomen Peggy Chapman said his case
involved "several unique circumstances."
Among those was the fact his assigned probation officer has died and
Santiago was scheduled to be transferred to Puerto Rico "which would
indicate no need for intensive probation supervision."
A review of all cases being handled by Santiago's probation officer
"determined that the officer had been following procedures," she said.
"It is unclear as to why the offender was not placed on the sex offender
registry at the time of sentencing," Chapman said.
A convicted sex offender who never registered with Chatham County
authorities was indicted Wednesday on eight counts of molesting a child.
Juan Miguel Santiago, 33, of Savannah, committed aggravated child
molestation on four occasions, all involving the same victim, the
Chatham County grand jury ruled.
The victim was "a child under 10 years of age," the indictment said.
The same indictment charges Santiago with aggravated sexual battery on
the victim, four counts of child molestation and a single count of
enticing a child for indecent purposes - all involving the same child.
The enticing charge involved enticing the victim to watch a pornographic
movie "to learn the actions portrayed,'' the indictment charges.
The incidents occurred between June 1, 2006, and March 13 of this year,
the indictment said.
Santiago remained in the Chatham County jail without bond Wednesday,
where Liberty County officials have filed a hold on him, jail officials
said. He was convicted of child molestation in 2004 in Liberty County
and sentenced to eight years on probation.
On March 17, Garden City police arrested Santiago for allegedly
molesting a child at his Savannah Pines home.
Santiago, his wife and family moved to Savannah in 2009, and it was
Santiago's wife who reported him to police.
Despite his prior conviction, Santiago, who was kicked out of his home
here, never registered as a sex offender.
State Department of Corrections spokeswomen Peggy Chapman said his case
involved "several unique circumstances."
Among those was the fact his assigned probation officer has died and
Santiago was scheduled to be transferred to Puerto Rico "which would
indicate no need for intensive probation supervision."
A review of all cases being handled by Santiago's probation officer
"determined that the officer had been following procedures," she said.
"It is unclear as to why the offender was not placed on the sex offender
registry at the time of sentencing," Chapman said.