No violators found in sex offender check

VW independent/submitted 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. Sheriff Riggenbach stated that Ohio law requires all sex offenders to register in person with the local sheriff’s office on a periodic basis to verify their address, employment, school affiliation, telephone numbers, vehicles, and Internet identities.

The in-person periodic verification registrations are scheduled with individual offenders, depending upon their offender risk classification. Offender risk classifications mandate that offenders 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 local 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 September 29 and October 12. Deputies verified the addresses for all 69 registered sex offenders residing in Van Wert County. To complete the random address verifications, deputies went to the listed residential address of each adult and juvenile sex offender. Deputies found that all 69 registered offenders in Van Wert County were in compliance with their registration requirements.

Sheriff Riggenbach said the random address verifications conducted by deputies is authorized, but not mandated, by Ohio law.

The recent check was the third random address verification of county registered sex offenders conducted this year. The sheriff said his office has prosecuted several registered sex offenders for failing to register as a result of conducting the random address verifications, because some offenders failed to timely register a change of address as required by law.

Sheriff Riggenbach said his office will continue to take the extra step of random address verification to ensure an offender’s compliance, as well as make it clear there is zero tolerance for non-compliance. The sheriff added that his office will continue to investigate and prosecute all registered sex offenders who fail to meet their sex offender registration requirements.

Sheriff Riggenbach encourages residents to visit the “Sex Offender” page of the Van Wert 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 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 from the sheriff’s office any time a sex offender registers an address within five miles of a designated address. Currently, 12.64 percent of county residents are signed up for the service.

Sheriff Riggenbach asks residents to contact his office with any information involving registration violations of sex offenders or other crimes. Residents can call the 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 either agency.