Sheriff’s office checks on sex offenders

Van Wert County Sheriff’s information

Van Wert County Sheriff Thomas M. Riggenbach announced that deputies recently conducted random address verification on all registered sex offenders in Van Wert County, with one offender allegedly violating state sex offender registration mandates.

“Ohio law requires all sex offenders to register in person with the sheriff on a scheduled periodic basis to verify their address, employment, school affiliation, telephone numbers, vehicles and Internet identities,” Sheriff Riggenbach said. “The in-person periodic verification registrations are scheduled with each offender, depending upon their offender risk classification.”

The offender risk classification mandates than an offender register either every 90 days, every 180 days or once annually.

Sheriff Riggenbach also said Ohio law requires all sex offenders to notify and register immediately with the sheriff any change of residential address, place of employment, enrollment in a school or institution of higher education, telephone numbers, vehicles and Internet identities.

According to Sheriff Riggenbach, deputies conducted the most recent random address verification checks between June 23 and June 29. Deputies verified the addresses for all 54 registered sex offenders residing in Van Wert County, and, to complete random address verifications, went to the residential address of each offender.

The random verifications included all adult and juvenile adjudicated offenders and found that 53 of the 54 registered offenders in Van Wert County were in compliance with their registration requirements. Sheriff Riggenbach said an investigation is currently ongoing related to the offender who was not in compliance.  Upon completion of the investigation, the case will reviewed by the County Prosecutor’s Office for presentation at the next grand jury.

Sheriff Riggenbach said the random address verifications conducted by deputies is authorized by Ohio law, but not required. This marks the seventh time random address verifications of registered offenders in Van Wert County have been conducted since January of 2013.  Sheriff Riggenbach also said his office has prosecuted two other registered sex offenders during this time frame for Failure to Register, because the offender failed to timely register a change of address as required by law.

Sheriff Riggenbach stated his office would continue to take the extra steps of random address verification as a matter of public safety to assure an offender’s compliance and make it clear that there is zero tolerance for non-compliance.

Sheriff Riggenbach also stated his office will continue to investigate and prosecute any registered sex offenders who fail to meet their legally required sex offender registration requirements.

Sheriff Riggenbach encourages residents to visit the sex offender page of the County Sheriff’s Office website at www.vanwertcountysheriff.com. Residents can click the “Offender Watch” link on the left side of the page to learn more about Ohio’s sex offender laws. Residents can then click on the “Sex Offenders Search” link to search for sex offenders living in their neighborhood or any other area they may be interested in.

Residents can also register to receive automatic emails by clicking the “Register for Email Alerts” link from the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office any time a registered sex offender registers an address within quarter-mile to 2 miles away from any address the resident designates.

Currently, 10 percent of Van Wert County residents are signed up to receive automated emails from the Sheriff’s Office on sex offenders.

Sheriff Riggenbach asks residents to contact the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office with any information involving registration violations of sex offenders or other crimes.  Residents can call the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office at 419.238.3866, use the Sheriff’s Office website and click on the “Submit a Crime Tip” link or call Van Wert County Crime Stoppers at 419.238.STOP.  Residents can remain anonymous when reporting information to the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office and Van Wert County Crime Stoppers.