VAN WERT — Van Wert County Sheriff Thomas M. Riggenbach reports that deputies recently conducted random address verification on all registered sex offenders in Van Wert County.
Ohio law requires all sex offenders to register in person with the sheriff 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 each offender depending upon their offender risk classification, the sheriff said in a statement. The offender risk classification will have an offender register either every 90 days, every 180 days or once annually.
The law also 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.
Riggenbach said deputies conducted the most recent random address verification checks between Sept. 29 and Oct. 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 residential address of each offender. It was found that all 69 registered offenders in Van Wert County were in compliance with their registration requirements.
This is the third time random address verifications of registered offenders in Van Wert County have been conducted for 2017. The sheriff said his office will continue to take the extra steps of random address verification as a matter of public safety to assure an offender’s compliance to make it clear that there is zero tolerance for non-compliance.
He said residents can 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, by clicking the “Register for Email Alerts” link, from the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office anytime a registered sex offender registers an address within one-quarter mile to five miles away from any address the resident designates. Currently 12.64 percent of Van Wert County residents are signed up to receive automated emails from the Sheriff’s Office on sex offenders.
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 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.
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