Sex Offender Moved To MN, Hid Status, Worked For Language Camp: Feds

BEMIDJI, MN — An Indiana sex offender was sentenced Monday for not registering in Minnesota for five years, as required by federal law.

Stephon Rene Jones, 34, of Bemedji pleaded guilty in October to failing to register as a sex offender. As a result, he must serve 21 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

Jones was convicted of molesting a 7-year-old child in LaPorte County, Indiana in 2009. As a result, Jones is considered a Tier III sex offender under federal law and has a lifetime registration requirement.

Jones knew he was required to register as a sex offender for life and complete verification every three months, authorities said. He was required to provide registration updates within three days of a change of where he lived, worked, or attended school, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

But since 2018, Jones had been non-compliant and evaded his registration requirement for five years after he relocated from Indiana to Minnesota, investigators said.

Jones admitted that he fraudulently used aliases and others’ names and social security numbers in order to gain employment in Minnesota in 2022 and 2023, most recently at a language immersion camp.