Countywide Crackdown on Sex Offender Registrations Nets 8 Arrests

Law enforcement agencies across Benton County teamed up last week for a large-scale compliance sweep targeting registered sex offenders, resulting in eight arrests or citations for failing to meet state reporting requirements, the Corvallis Police Department announced Tuesday.

The operation took place Thursday, July 23, and brought together six agencies: the Corvallis Police Department, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Albany Police Department, Oregon State Police, Benton County Parole and Probation, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Officials said the goal of the sweep was to verify that registered offenders were complying with their reporting obligations, to focus attention on those who had missed one or more required check-ins, to conduct compliance checks on higher-risk offenders, and to inform offenders of Oregon laws requiring them to report intended international travel.

During the operation, officers and deputies conducted 248 compliance checks on registered offenders throughout the county. Eight of those checks led to arrests or citations under ORS 163A.040, Oregon’s statute governing failure to report as a sex offender. Four additional arrests were made on unrelated outstanding warrants uncovered during the sweep.

Investigators also issued 15 warnings to offenders found to be out of compliance with registration requirements, and nine offenders completed their registration after being contacted by law enforcement. In addition, the sweep identified 20 offenders who were not living at the residence they had listed with authorities.

In a release, the Corvallis Police Department thanked the participating agencies for their work “to make our community a safer place.”

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