ktiv.com: U.S. Marshals conduct sex offender compliance check in Iowa.
Local12.com: Marshals Checking On Sex Offenders In Butler County (OH).
U.S. Marshals and state-wide law enforcement agencies conducted a compliance check of all registered sex offenders in the Northern District of Iowa.
Tim Junker, U.S. Marshal said, "We take a Deputy Sheriff and a U.S. Marshal and we knock on a door and ask if you're living where you're supposed to be and look for the sex offender. It makes an impression upon them and they want to stay where they're at."
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This week, the sheriff got some big time help from the U.S. Marshals Service tracking them down.
Sheriff Richard Jones, Butler County: "Every month there's new legislation trying to be introduced making the law tougher and tougher and tougher and the sad thing is they're adding more requirements and we're at wits end, we have no more resources."
"For the last week, almost five hundred registered sex offenders across Butler County have been under the scrutiny of law enforcement. Are they where they belong? Are they doing what they're supposed to be doing? Now we know." And we know because of the massive county wide effort, which began two months ago, that's when U.S. Marshal Kathy Jones saw this sobering article in the Middletown Journal. The Butler County Sheriff has been using only one full time deputy and one part-time volunteer to check on almost five hundred registered sex offenders.
Marshal Jones added Butler County to the 8 counties where her team has already been working. Bill Taylor, Deputy U.S. Marshal: "We bring a force multiplier in, we bring in additional bodies, fugitive hunters, parole officers probation officers and we set about trying to make sure these people are abiding by the law."
We are told that these US Marshall sweeps are being conducted in counties with limited resources or where they do not routinely verify addresses of those registered. If you live in a county which does these routine sweeps, it is unlikely that you will see these "goon squads". In lesser populated and smaller counties, where local sheriffs are overwhelmed by the sex offender registration laws, it is more likely that they will be present.
Know your rights when and if you see these people at your doorstep. Firstly, remember that they are not there to help you or to preserve your rights. They despise you and are there to try to do harm unto you. They are there to try to catch you doing something wrong or not doing what you are required to do. So if there is any way possible that they can justify arresting you, they will do so. If asked, you must provide your name and other identifying information. You are not required to allow them entrance into your home and you should not allow them to enter unless they present a search warrant. You should not answer any questions which are not related to verifying who you are and proving that you live there.
Notice: we are not legal professionals and we give this advice as such. This information is not to be taken as professional legal advice. It is simply to inform you that you do still have rights. You should verify your rights within your local and state laws. This advice is not to be interpreted as condoning any illegal actions.
