Dennis Hastert, the former U.S. House Speaker, was released from a federal prison in Minnesota on Tuesday, July 18, after serving 13 months in prison in relation to a banking conviction. However, during the investigation into his banking charges, it had also come to light that Hastert had secretly sexually abused children while he taught wrestling at a Yorkville high school. The disgraced politician will now have to face court-ordered sex-offender treatment to ensure that he no longer pose a risk to children.
Release from federal prison
The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that Hastert had been released from the Minnesota prison and was transferred to Chicago, where the former politician is awaiting entry into the court-ordered sex offender program.
It was not revealed whether currently Hastert was placed on home confinement or in a halfway house. However, it was stated that he is now under the jurisdiction of the Chicago re-entry management office.
Hastert is known as one of the highest ranking United States politician to have been sent to prison. He served as the second in line for the presidency of the country from 1999 to 2007 under Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He admitted in 2015 to have violated the banking law by funneling $3.5 million, which he used to keep the Child Sexual Abuse incidents a secret.
Even though, the child sexual abuse incidents formed a background for the banking violation, the courts could not try Hastert for his sexual assault crimes.
This was due to the statutes of limitation which ran out long ago on all of those child sexual abuse cases. However, the court ordered Hastert to seek the sex offender treatment once he was released from prison. He would not need to register as a sex offender since he could not be charged with those offenses, Hastert would still be supervised by a court appointed official.
What does the sex offender treatment include
Hastert will be put through a lie detector test to check how many times the 75-year old sexually abused the teens in his wrestling class. Penile plethysmograph is another form of treatment where the therapists would gauge Hastert’s physical reactions to specific images which are shown to him.
Hastert could go back to prison if he refuses to take any of the tests and treatments. However, if in the course of treatment he admits to other cases of such sexual abuse, new investigations may start from it. Treatment can also include looking back into the offender’s childhood for similar sexual abuse history or other mental ailments which may be causing a person to act out in this manner.
