October 2008 Meet convicted paedophile Joe Black This is the notorious child sex beast stalking Ulster’s streets. Sunday Life confronted convicted pervert Joe Black outside the Salvation Army’s Calder Fountain facility in Belfast city centre last week. When we asked the paedophile if he posed a danger to kids, he remained silent before HE screamed for help from two nearby security guards. Evil Black was walking towards Custom House Square — a popular meeting place for teenagers — when we confronted him. As part of his parole conditions, the pervert is only allowed to leave his building between the hours of 10am and 3pm. But when he left his room last Saturday morning, teenagers were already gathering at Custom House Square. He has also been spending his days enjoying lunches in nearby bars and restaurants. The sex fiend — who has just been released from Maghaberry prison after he was caged for indecent assault and breach of a sexual offence prevention order — is staying in a specially adapted room for disabled people at Calder Fountain. Housing the pervert costs the taxpayer a staggering £26,000-a-year. Black shares the building with vulnerable young adults with severe mental health problems. A senior Salvation Army source said staff were “furious” Black had been placed in Calder Fountain. Said the source: “Black was only placed in the facility because nowhere else would take him. He should never have been placed in Calder because this is a unit which cares for vulnerable young adults. “He has one of the biggest rooms in the building, yet there is nothing wrong with him. This room should be given to someone who has a severe disability. “He knows he’s on to a good thing here, but nobody wants him about the place because he is such a horrible person. Black may not be situated close to any schools, but he’s just a stone’s throw away from the city centre.” Sunday Life also understand that he was recently caught lurking in a floor at the unit which houses young people. Salvation Army spokeswoman Linda Campbell promised Sunday Life a statement on Black by Friday afternoon. But when we contacted her later, she said the organisation would NOT be making a comment on the matter. She said: “I know I said I would be sending you a response about Joe Black once it had been cleared, but we are not going to issue one now. “I’m sorry about this, but we’ve changed our mind and won’t be issuing any comment.” Senior Ulster Unionist councillor Jim Rodgers described Black’s release as “deeply disturbing”. Said the ex-lord mayor: “This greatly concerns me that a convicted paedophile who has never shown any remorse is being housed with vulnerable young adults. “I’m also worried that this man is just a few yards away from the city centre and from locations where teenagers meet on a daily basis. “The Salvation Army is an organisation that cares for everyone, but this man should not have been housed in a specialist room for someone with severe disabilities.” And he added: “I would call on the Salvation Army to review their decision to locate this man in a building which is only yards away from places frequented by children of all ages. “This man could be hanging around anywhere and parents wouldn’t know anything about it.” Black was also jailed in for a brutal sex attack on a young boy in Warrenpoint in 1987. The sex beast was released in 1999 after serving a five-year sentence. He had been staying in the Downpatrick area, but was forced to flee after residents raised concerns about his past. His location remained unknown until he was arrested in 2006 for indecent assault. Black spent time on remand before his conviction and was released from prison earlier this month. The Salvation Army source believes it is only a matter of time before the pervert strikes again. Added the source: “Make no mistake about it — this man is very intelligent and very cunning. He has never shown any remorse for his crimes. “He was jailed in the 1990s, but it didn’t take him long to commit other crimes against children. He just can’t help himself. “Parents should be concerned that this man is now back on the streets. “He is very devious and people should be keeping a close eye on him because he will never change.”