A 19-year-old St. Clair County teenage boy with IQ of 50 pleaded not guilty on the grounds of probably having autism, after being accused of soliciting or providing support to terrorist groups such as Islamic State and Pakistani Taliban.
Peyton Pruitt, 19, from Wattsville, was at last freed last Tuesday, Oct. 18 after he spent one year in jail for the accusation of soliciting financial support for an extremist act. The teenager promised not to hold another computer again.
As of an arrest report quoted in Alabama Local News, Pruitt solicited or provided support for an act of terrorism in the second-degree. The teenager has solicited a total amount of $1,000 or less. On November 13, 2015, Peyton Pruitt was arrested and imprisoned in St. Clair County Jail with bond fixed at $1 million.
Fast forward to September 2016; Pruitt has pleaded not guilty to the accusation of suspected connivances with terrorist groups after a mental issue has been discovered in the teenage boy and not really a threat to himself or the society. Then last Tuesday, Oct. 18, the boy was ordered by St Clair County Circuit Judge Phil Seay to be released after a second mental test discovered him as probably having an autism disorder.
James Gallini, the attorney of the accused, expressed that he is delighted with the judge's decision. When found guilty, the teen would have been imprisoned for 10 years. Before the last decision is made up about the teen's disposition, he will go through another mental test with Taylor Hardin Secure Mental Facility of Tuscaloosa.
"Of course, his evaluation earlier this year showed he has a mental defect, so we're appreciative to the district attorney for not challenging those results," Alabama Local News quoted Gallini as saying. He also added that they agree that Pruitt poses not risk to himself or the community at large and they are confident another evaluation will show this.
Now free, the teenage boy, who described his imprisonment as "hard," thanked all his family, supporters, and friends, telling them he was really sorry for what he did.
The judge gave custody to Pruitt's father having the condition of 100 percent supervision to internet and cellphone access, DailyMail reported.
