Sex Offender Who Moved to Cumming Heads Back to Prison

A sex offender who moved to Forsyth County in the fall of 2010 will soon have a new home–federal prison.

William Douglas Martin, 42, of Cumming, was sentenced today, Sept. 16 before U.S. District Court Judge Richard W. Story for failing to register as a sex offender.

Martin was sentenced to 1 year, 2 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system. He pleaded guilty to the charge on June 10.

 In January 2001, Martin was convicted in St. George, Utah, of attempted sexual abuse of a minor and unlawful sexual activity with a minor, according to U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates and the information presented in court.

He was initially released in 2004, but between 2005 and 2007, violated parole three times. He was ultimately released from custody in 2007 and relocated to Tennessee.

In January 2011, law enforcement discovered that Martin had moved to Forsyth County in the fall of 2010 without notifying Tennessee authorities or registering as a sex offender in Georgia.

"Sex offenders who think they can slip into this district without being noticed and without registering will not be permitted to circumvent the law's requirements.  They should expect to be prosecuted, just like this defendant,” Yates said.

This case is being prosecuted as a priority of the Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood.