Jailed child molester foiled in attempt to threaten Barack Obama – because he got the White House address wrong

Convict Joseph Savage could face a further five years in jail if found guilty of threatening the US president

President Barack Obama, speaking at the White House this month, was sent a threatening letter by a convict - but to the wrong address (EPA)

A US convict has appeared in court charged with attempting to threaten President Barack Obama – despite the fact that he failed because he got the address of the White House wrong.

Joseph Savage, 34, was already serving a 12-and-a-half to 25-year term for molesting a nine-year-old girl when he allegedly tried to send the “graphic letter” to the head of state.

According to federal prosecutors in Pittsburgh, Savage mailed the letter while awaiting trial at Fayette County Prison in October 2012.

Though the full contents of the letter have not been released, it was described in an indictment which said Savage threated “to kill and to kidnap and to inflict bodily harm” on an unspecified member of the president's family and to “torture and murder the president upon being released from prison”.

Yet when he posted the letter to America’s most famous address, Savage wrote 1400 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington DC.

The White House is located up the road, at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

The letter was eventually forwarded on to the White House – at which point it was turned over to the authorities.

Savage pleaded not guilty at his arraignment before a federal magistrate on Monday. He now faces new charges of threatening the president or threatening an immediately family member of the president. If convicted on either charge, he could be jailed for a further five years and fined up to $500,000 (£303,000).

Savage's current sentence stems from four separate cases. He was convicted of molesting a nine-year-old girl in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, exposing himself to a 10-year-old girl in neighbouring North Union Township, damaging a prisoner waiting room at a district judge's office and sending a threatening letter to the state police trooper who charged him.