Sex offender sweep in area

Forty-five registered sex offenders on both sides of the Ohio River were found to be out of compliance with the terms of their registration, and at least seven were arrested this week during a four-county sweep by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

Authorities knocked on doors at the residences of 374 offenders in Washington, Monroe and Athens counties, and in Wood County, W.Va., to verify addresses and ensure compliance with registration requirements.

The results were released during a news conference at the Washington County Jail Friday afternoon.

"Approximately 12 percent of the registered sex offender population in these four counties were out of compliance, and while we have a problem with anyone who's out of compliance, this indicates that most offenders are doing what they're supposed to do," said Cathy Jones, acting U.S. Marshal for Southern Ohio.

Her West Virginia counterpart, Tim Goode, agreed.

"And this cooperative operation shows that we are committed to making sure those who are convicted of sex offenses against children are properly registered," he said.

Five of Washington County's 112 registered sex offenders were out of compliance, and four of those were arrested.

"One was arrested for being drunk while on probation, another failed to pay child support," said Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks.

He said a third was arrested for possessing a weapon while under disability, and the fourth was jailed on theft charges.

Mayford Lee Miller, 51, 1114 Walsh Road, Vincent, was arrested at his residence for nonsupport of dependants, a misdemeanor, and jailed on Tuesday. He was later released by court order.

Donald Gee Socia, 76, 836 Pike St., Apt. 15, Marietta, was arrested at his residence for violating the terms of his probation, a felony. Socia was jailed on Wednesday, but released by his adult probation officer the same day.

Harland Wayne Watson, 47, 1350 State Route 821, Marietta, was arrested at his home for having a weapon while under disability, a felony. Watson was jailed Wednesday and released after posting $2,500 bond.

John Lewis Lindsey II, 33, 230 Henniger Road, Lowell, was arrested at the sheriff's office for theft, a misdemeanor. He was jailed on Wednesday evening and later released after posting $1,000 bond.

Mincks said deputies perform random checks to monitor the activities of registered sex offenders, but there is no set number of checks required on the 112 offenders each month. He said some months an offender will receive one or two visits, while other months will generate three or four visits from officers.

A list of registered sex offenders residing within the county, their addresses and offense(s) is available through the Washington County Sheriff's Office Web site at www.washingtoncountysheriff.org, where citizens may also choose to be notified by e-mail if a registered offender lives within one mile of their residence.

"There are probably more than 3,000 people who have registered for the e-mail service within this county," Mincks said.

In Monroe County, two out of 31 sex offenders were found out of compliance, one was arrested for failure to register his proper address, and the other arrested for a parole violation.

Monroe County Sheriff Charles Black said Jonathan Holley, 27, was arrested in Sardis for failure to report his current address which was near a school. Holley was placed in the Noble County Jail on $20,000 bond.

Black also reported Jay Kinney, 47, of State Route 26 in Graysville, was arrested for a parole violation, but was later released.

At least 10 of the 90 registered sex offenders in Athens County were out of compliance, but operations were continuing and no arrests had been reported there as of Friday evening.

There were 141 registered sex offenders checked out during the sweep in Wood County, W.Va., and 28 were out of compliance with various registration requirements.

One offender, George W. Baker, 34, 501 32nd St., Parkersburg, was arrested on a destruction of property warrant, but later released after posting $500 bond, according to Capt. Mark King with the Wood County Sheriff's Office.

The sweep comes more than a month following the arrest of Cuyahoga County sex offender Anthony Sowell who has been charged with murder, rape, felonious assault and kidnapping after police discovered the bodies of 10 people and the skull of another near or inside Sowell's home.

Jones said the local four-county operation had been scheduled long before Sowell's arrest, and noted that Sowell had remained in compliance with sex offender registration requirements, so authorities had no reason to enter and search his home.

The bodies were found at Sowell's home as a result of a missing persons investigation.

This week's sweep was unique because it involved authorities on both sides of the Ohio River, according to Jones.

The operation was conducted through combined efforts of the Washington, Monroe and Athens counties sheriff's departments, U.S. Marshals from Ohio's southern district, West Virginia State Police, Wood County Sheriff's Office, Parkersburg Police Department, and U.S. Marshals from West Virginia's southern district.

The U.S. Marshals Service is the lead law enforcement agency responsible for investigating sex offender registration violations and related offenses in connection with violations of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, enacted July 27, 2006.

The U.S. Marshals Service has been directed to assist state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities in the location and apprehension of non-compliant and fugitive sex offenders.

Member Comments

View Comments: | 1-24 | Post a comment

Elizabeth
12-14-09 11:46 AM »Report Abuse	Why was my comment deleted?? Can't handle the truth?? We ALL have opinions!!
WhatsTheDiscussionAbout
12-14-09 9:38 AM »Report Abuse	I agree with Elizabeth.. if we label people for acts that we would consider harmless then why dont we label everything to make everyone happy.. i mean might aswell have people register cause they have a shopping habit, or they gamble to much, or even if there just not to bright and think everything in this world is gonna be perfect. I understand some cases that its the right thing to know if there is a real preditor in your area, but kids even 18-21 getting caught or even being accused of doing something that we see walking down the streets everyday is just not a smart call on the judges, lawyers, and parents that for see pushing the issue. If they allowed them to date to begine with then they should be at fault when they push charges.. thats what i think of this issue.. all b/s..
armybrat
12-13-09 8:50 PM »Report Abuse	DeputyDawg, you are so right.
DeputyDawg
12-13-09 7:34 PM »Report Abuse	Probably stirring the pot here a little. I do not think 18-19-20 years old should have to register as a sex offender for having consentual sex with a 14-17 year old..Why? In the state of ohio a 14 year old can be tried as an adult.. This tell me the state believes a 14 year old can make adult decisions.
lostonthetrail
12-13-09 7:04 PM »Report Abuse	Sex offenders should always be able to attend church. I think it would be part of the healing process. But they should also have the stength to stand up and let people know that they are a sex offender and they want everything to be right to start the healing process. This sex offender was charged and never registered a day after he was convicted. Everyone should have the right to know who is a sex offender so they can protect their children. If parents don`t protect then who will, and if they don`t know who is sex offenders then how are they spose to protected them. The only thing I`m saying, he has not registed and he does not attend church. He is the one that amitted to the crime to a child under 2 years of age. Now is that someone you would want living next door to you?
Orchardfarmer
12-13-09 6:26 PM »Report Abuse	Don't we want sex offenders - and others - to attend church?
lostonthetrail
12-13-09 11:44 AM »Report Abuse	Not all sex offenders are registered. He has never registered in Marietta and lives downtown and not far from a church where children attend church. I think Marietta police department and washington county sheriffs department needs to check records to make sure they all have registered and if not make them register longer. Living right down town where many school children walk home from school everyday. Very scary! Once an offender always a offender
Orchardfarmer
12-13-09 9:05 AM »Report Abuse	I've often thought that responsible, sensible young men will double-date or otherwise have public, chaperoned dates to protect themselves. It is no longer the GIRL's reputation that is at stake - it is the GUY's!
Darby1952
12-12-09 9:33 PM »Report Abuse	I wonder if Izzy55 would be willing to pay for the housing project he talks about?
TruePatriot
12-12-09 7:59 PM »Report Abuse	Zero tolerance can be detrimental if authority figures don't exercise some common sense. There is a difference between teenage indiscretion and a felony offense. The laws should reflect that and if they don't perhaps a change in law makers is in order. When it comes to kids' safety though I think zero tolerance for registered offenders is the only thing that makes sense. I would not want to go out on a limb and be the judge that decides which convicted molester is OK to be around small children. The only thing that makes sense is to keep them all away from our schools, playgrounds and community events. Doing things by half-measures is akin to saying that it is OK for half the child molesters to have a chance to offend again.
TruePatriot
12-12-09 7:49 PM »Report Abuse	I agree that judges have to make common sense decisions regarding sentencing and there is a difference between an 18 year old that has sex with a 17 year old girlfriend and the type of criminal that I was talking about. I was referring to predatory felons - those that actively seek out victims for their crimes. Most pedophiles aren't caught until they have molested multiple victims. They blend in and are great at avoiding detection - sometimes for years as we saw in the Keck case. In cases like that we have an obligation to protect the children in our society by demanding that these felons are never released to offend again. Pedophiles do not recover/rehabilitate - they remain a threat to kids as long as they live. Too many articles about 60 and 70 year old first time felons bear this out. Just this summer an older man was approaching young girls at the community playground and propositioning them.
ColtsMommy
12-12-09 3:34 PM »Report Abuse	MSLGWCEO...60% of rapes are not even reported. Why? Because some person makes than a victim all over again with a posting as yours. Get accurate rape/domestic violence statistics at ****rainn dot org/statistics
Letsstayfocused
12-12-09 2:03 PM »Report Abuse	I agree with Army Brat. This is not as black and white as we would like it to be. Keck was a monster and I would have no trouble sleeping at night if he was hanging by a rope in prison but I have a problem with 18 thru 21 yr olds being labeled sex offenders under the circumstances listed below. Unfortunately there are plenty of 14 thru 17 year old girls willing to have sex with older boys. Are they in the same category as Keck. I don't think so. This is why we have judges to decide appropriate sentences to fit the crime. As for zero tolerance we have done that for knives and guns in school zones and some school systems have come to regret that. A first grader put in anger management class for bringing a camping knife, fork, and spoon to school. A high school kid expelled for school for having his shotgun in his truck because he had been bird hunting before school and didn't want to be late. Zero tolerance throws common sense out the window.
DeputyDawg
12-12-09 1:28 PM »Report Abuse	Armybrat I can relate to what you are saying. I know a guy in another state. These 2 were together for a year or so. She was 15,he just turned 18..Mommy and Daddy caught them.. He did his time and is now a registered sex offender. But here is the kicker.. After she turned 18 these 2 got back together,got married,and they have been married now for 18 years..Now I don't think this guy will ever be dangerous to anyone
armybrat
12-12-09 1:13 PM »Report Abuse	I don't like sex offenders, but do have a problem understanding when an 18 year old is dating a 16 or 17 years old and this relation has been going on for several months/years. Then the couple break up and to get revenge, the "minor" then yells rape. The 18 year old is then labeled for the rest of their life, because of a vindictive minor. The parents of the minor are aware of the relationship, but encourage the charges. This happens to often to be ignored. I hate sex offenders, but there is a line where the question must be asked, is the person being wrongly accused?
TruePatriot
12-12-09 11:52 AM »Report Abuse	As a parent with 2 small children I hate the idea that these animals are even allowed to live in our town. The laws remain too lax and give child molesters the opportunity to offend again. They can live in our town, attend school functions, volunteer at community and church events without a background check, etc. I am not OK with allowing predators to window shop for victims. I have heard a lot in recent years about a rise in deviant behaviors but I think the case might be that society just treats them with more respect now. In the past citizens made sexual predators unwelcome and in some cases helped pedophiles stop hurting innocents at the end of a hangman's rope. I don't advocate a return to vigilante justice but this is the time and place for citizens to stand up - put your foor down and flood your elected officials' offices and answering service with demands for stiffer punishment and zero tolerance for predators
Rhonda1
12-12-09 11:47 AM »Report Abuse	In response to the 12-12-09 9:13am comment: Your story describes a 19 year man that raped a 15 year old child--all the descriptive words of this 'inexperienced, immature boy' does not take away from his age. The fact that you further make the 15 year old the culprit--label her the 'more sexually experienced (prostitute)', call her the 'real sex offender'--I'd say the problem you speak of is the type of person that can side with the real criminal, make the bad guy the victim. There are age laws that set limits, this 19 year old was outside his limit--period. Wrong is wrong. This pure virgin boy you describe should have done what he did with another of legal age. Children are children until they are 18--they are the ones that need protecting. No matter what that 15 year old girl did on the streets of the cities she ran to or what you feel she may have done to 'seduce' that 19 year old man, she is a child.
MSLGWCEO
12-12-09 11:38 AM »Report Abuse	"New, Short Video: Once on the registry, your life is pretty much shot. U.S. Congressman Bobby Scott" Google it Time to wake up America
MSLGWCEO
12-12-09 11:31 AM »Report Abuse	A new study out "About Half of Rape Allegations are False, Research Shows" Google the title
JudyJones
12-12-09 11:15 AM »Report Abuse	"Whatever happened to the fact that once you had done your time for a crime that you were hen square with the house?"..... Sad to say, but doing the time, does not stop a sexual predator from abusing again, especially those who molest kids. !! what intrview with "Marilyn Van Derbur" on web site, at steubenvilletruth dot org. tks, Judy Jones, SNAP Ohio Valley Director
bulldog58
12-12-09 9:40 AM »Report Abuse	The article says 4 out 5 was charged,how did the 5th one get by with out being charged i thought failure to register was a crime itself.
Izzy55
12-12-09 9:19 AM »Report Abuse	Sex offenders should have to live in a housing project built for that purpose. This way the public would know where they are and children w/b safer. Everyone needs to be aware of how sex offenders act & to watch for anyone that fits into the category.
Tessie
12-12-09 9:13 AM »Report Abuse	I do not condone sexual abuse of any kind. I believe the public has the right to know if a child molester or rapist lives near them. However I think the disclosure laws need changed. I saw a man listed as a Tier II sex offender whose crime was to have sex with a younger woman/girl. On his 19th birthday, this inexperienced, immature virgin boy had his first sexual experience with a much more mature, sexually experienced 15 year old girl. In fact the girl had been a runaway several times who prostituted herself in the cities she ran to. She admitted in court that she had seduced the young man, and wanted to have sex with him. The girl came from a "good" family, the boy did not. He will forever be known as a Tier II Sex Offender, when the real sex offender was the girl. Something is wrong with this picture.
DeputyDawg
12-12-09 8:12 AM »Report Abuse	Earlier this year I had a registered sex offender move in a couple of houses away,but did not report a change of address..I notified the sheriff's dept,but not a thing was ever done,and he finally changed his address about 30 days after he move,not within the 3 days that is required. Well he moved again,and still never changed his address. I notified the sheriff's dept again, and told them right where he moved to.. Still nothing done about it. His address is now listed as homeless,but I know exactly where he is staying,but yet nothing done.

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