Dearborn County, Ind. —
More than three dozen registered sex offenders in Dearborn County got a rude awakening as officers began knocking on doors not long after sunrise Tuesday.
“We want to make sure, number one, that they’re following the rules, but two, that they’re not committing new offenses,” said Dearborn County Probation Officer Karrisa Simpson.
Five teams made up of officers from the U.S. Marshals, Dearborn County Sheriff’s Department and Indiana State Police, along with several local police departments ran the operation.
“Based on their convictions, they’re required to register as sex offenders. They’re required to keep their addresses up to date as well as abide by the conditions of the registry. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t want to do that,” said Dearborn County Prosecutor Lynn Deddens.
The teams divided 44 people on the registry and began making house calls searching for violations.
“Some of them are not allowed to have access to internet, so we’re looking to see if they have laptops, smartphones or different gaming systems,” Simpson said.
At one rural home, officers found electronics that were not on the approved list and they were taken. The offender was not home but could face charges.
“It’s just to show the people on the registry that we are serious about them following the rules and that we do want to have a safe community,” said Jaime Heffelmire, who is sex and violent offender coordinator for the sheriff’s department.
Officers found eight offenders on the list were not in compliance. Two were arrested on drug charges.