London: A senior Ministry of Justice official has married one of the world's most wanted paedophiles in a secret ceremony behind bars.
Sarah Smith, 34, wed Shawn Sullivan, 42, while he was fighting extradition to the United States on rape charges. It is feared he will use their union to dodge extradition by proving he has a family life in Britain under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act.
Smith is a policy manager in the Ministry of Justice which is in charge of the prisons system. It is not known exactly how and when she met Sullivan. Officials said they were monitoring the case but were not aware of any wrongdoing.
Sullivan was on remand in a category A prison last November when they wed in a civil ceremony witnessed by two prison officers.
A judge later bailed Sullivan with an electronic tag and the couple live at Smith's family's £1 million (Dh3.67 million) London home. The marriage certificate shows they married on November 3, 2010. Sullivan is wanted by the authorities in Minnesota over claims he raped a 14-year-old girl. He is also accused of molesting two 11-year-olds in attacks that took place almost two decades ago. A warrant for his arrest was issued in 1994 after a woman and her cousin accused him of exposing himself and then sexually assaulting them at their grandmother's house in Egan, Minnesota.
He is also accused of raping a 14-year-old girl. Sullivan left the US before police could arrest him and he travelled to Ireland.
