Media

49 Apprehended in Sex Offender Round-Up

Release Date: May 17, 2005

Memphis, TN- Today, members of the TBI, the Shelby County Sheriff’s office, the Memphis Police Department and the U.S. Marshal’s Service partnered with District Attorney Bill Gibbons to locate and arrest dozens of local sex offenders who have been indicted for failure to comply with the Tennessee Sex Offender Law.

Beginning at dawn, teams of officers canvassed the area in search of 67 convicted felons who either failed to register or gave false information to authorities. By mid-afternoon 43 had been arrested and another 6 were found re-incarcerated, hospitalized, and out of the state.

Since the law was revamped last August, more than 600 Shelby county offenders have registered electronically. General Gibbons says today’s round-up should send out a clear message to those offenders who haven’t complied, “These individuals need to register promptly or face prosecution and a mandatory jail sentence upon conviction.”

In the past six months, the TBI has helped orchestrate four major round-ups across the state, and according to TBI Director Mark Gwyn, it’s not over, “We intend to continue dedicating resources to this cause as long as it takes. I’ve said it before, and I’ll continue to say it. Tennessee is no longer going to be a safe haven for sex offenders.”

Sheriff Mark Luttrell agrees saying, “The Shelby County Sheriff’s office is committed to helping the TBI arrest those who have not complied with the new law. Today’s round-up is of the utmost importance to ensure the safety of all citizens in Shelby County.”

Failure to comply with Tennessee’s Sex Offender Law is a class E Felony, which carries a sentence of one to six years in prison. Convicted sex offenders who wish to register should contact the TBI or their local law enforcement for more information. Those who wish to see the current sex offender registry can visit the TBI website at www.TBI.state.tn.us

(Note: Legally, those offenders who committed their offenses prior to July 1, 1997 shall not appear on the public registry. Because of that stipulation, only the following photos are available from the round-up.)

Elijah Patrick	Elton Crawford
Christopher Brown	Cedric Kearney
Calvin Williams	Cory Jackson
Emanual Reynolds

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