2 Violated Sex Offender Registry In Bartow County

CARTERSVILLE, GA — The Bartow County Sheriff's Office recently took part in a statewide initiative verifying the residences of registered sex offenders across Georgia. The agency in Sept. 14-19 participated in Operation Watchful Eye III, a coordinated effort by sheriff's offices around the Peach State.

BCSO's goal was to verify if the 216 registered sex offenders in Bartow County are complying with residency requirements. Sheriff's deputies were able to validate the addresses of 214 out of 216 offenders, and arrest warrants have been issued for the two offenders whose residences were not verified. The two subjects, whose names have not been released at this time, are charged with violation of the sex offender registry.

Helping the Bartow County Sheriff's Office with its operation were its Court Services and Patrol divisions, the Cherokee Judicial Circuit and the Department of Community Supervision.

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According to the Georgia Sheriffs' Association, preliminary reporting by 65 sheriff’s offices reveals a total of 10,601 registered sex offenders, 214 predators and 301 homeless sex offenders are currently living in their counties.

During the operation that ran Sept. 13-21, 6,200 residence verifications were conducted, 35 new warrants were issued for violations of the sex offender registry law, 82 new sex offenders moved into the reporting counties, 13 warrants were issued for new sex offenses, 69 warrants issued for residency violations of the sex offender registry, and 46 warrants issued for other miscellaneous new charges.

It was also discovered that 384 sex offenders had absconded from their last known address, which will require sheriff's deputies to work with other supporting agencies and track these individuals down.

The Bartow County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender Registration Unit consists of two sworn deputies who work to ensure compliance with all sex offender laws in Georgia for those who reside in Bartow County. For more information, contact Deputy Beverly Parker at 770-382-5050 ext. 6002 or beverlyparker@bartow.org or Deputy Travis Haney at 770-382-5050 ext. 6014 or at travishaney@bartow.org.

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