Sex offender skips court, wanted on warrant

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February 23, 2012

Sex offender skips court, wanted on warrant

By Julie Manganis Staff writer The Salem News Thu Feb 23, 2012, 04:30 AM EST

DANVERS — Days after he was freed by a Supreme Judicial Court ruling, a "chronic exhibitionist" and Level 3 sex offender took up residence at a Danvers motel but failed to notify authorities, police said.

Donald Suave, who also uses the spelling Sauve, 54, is now facing a charge of failing to register as a sex offender.

Yesterday, Suave was scheduled to be arraigned on the charge, brought by Danvers police after they found him staying at the Days Inn on Endicott Street in September. But after apparently checking in with the clerk's office, he took off from the courthouse.

It's not known where he went, though his attorney, Will Korman, said Suave is in "full compliance" with the requirements of the Sex Offender Registry Board.

Korman, of the firm Rudolph Friedmann, had represented Suave during legal proceedings that followed a prosecution's request to have Suave deemed a sexually dangerous person.

Suave, who has a string of convictions for open and gross lewdness dating back to the 1980s, had recently completed his most recent prison term, but prosecutors wanted him to remain in custody.

Salem Superior Court Judge Timothy Feeley denied the request, setting off an appeal by prosecutors that went to the Supreme Judicial Court.

Last September, the SJC found that while Suave's behavior was disturbing, and that he was likely to re-offend, his acts were not physically menacing toward anyone and that he did not fall within the definition of "dangerous" set out in the law.

By Sept. 25, Danvers police learned that he was staying at the Days Inn, apparently the first of several area motels and hotels where Suave has lived since his release. He allegedly failed to tell Danvers police he was living there.

According to a police report, Suave told police he was about to move to a Peabody hotel, but the next time police located him, he was staying at the Motel 6 in Danvers.

Salem District Court Judge Sabita Singh yesterday issued an arrest warrant that specifies that Suave cannot be released on bail until he appears in court.

Courts reporter Julie Manganis may be reached at 978-338-2521 or jmanganis@salemnews.com.