Registered Sex Offender Compliance Check in Van Zandt County
Posted/updated on: July 11, 2013 at 1:10 pm
CANTON — Van Zandt County Criminal District Attorney Chris Martin and Van Zandt County Sheriff Michael Lindsey Ray report that a county wide sex offender compliance check was conducted on July 10 in order to verify registration compliance on the county’s 116 registered sex offenders. The check was conducted by approximately fifty officers representing the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, the Van Zandt County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety – Texas Highway Patrol and Criminal Investigations Division, the United States Marshal’s Service, Van Zandt County Constables Offices, and the Van City Marshal’s Office.
89 Registered Sex Offenders were found to be in compliance with state reporting requirements and 16 were found to have moved out of Van Zandt County without properly notifying authorities, according to officials. Information regarding those 16 individuals was forwarded to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division for enforcement action. Officials say one individual was cited for an on-site drug violation during the compliance check.
Deputies, with the assistance of the Van Zandt County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, also conducted an unannounced compliance check on Larry Michael Maples, the capital murder suspect released on bond on June 28. Mr. Maples was found to be fully in compliance with his court ordered release.
Sheriff Ray voiced appreciation to all agencies participating in the compliance check by stating, “On behalf of the law abiding citizens of Van Zandt County, I would like to say thank you each for helping the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office in keeping our community safer by ensuring the convicted sex offenders who are registered in Van Zandt County are in compliance with state law regarding their reporting requirements.” The state’s attorney and the sheriff also remind the public that you can go to https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/SexOffender/ to obtain sex offender registration information online.
