Williamson County Police Check For Non-Compliant Sex Offenders

CEDAR PARK, TX — County officials recently conducted a countywide sex offender compliance operation, finding 14 registered offenders in violation.

The June 6 initiative checks for non-compliance issues among registered sex offenders — not reporting a change of vehicle or employment or giving false information during reporting visits. All told, the operation targeted 53 registered sex offenders from among the 190 currently registered in Williamson County.

Of those, 14 registered sex offenders were found to be in non-compliance, county officials said in a press advisory. The number is double the amount of non-compliant offenders found during last year's sweep. Last July, the effort targeted 49 locations during which seven registered sex offenders were found to be in non-compliance.

This year's checks were conducted with help from the Sheriff's Office Organized Crime Unit, criminal investigation department, STAR (Selection, Training, Assessment, Recruitment and Support) members and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

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But when Patch asked the Williamson County Sheriff's Office for a breakdown as to which cities were the ones in which the targeted individuals and violators lived, the information wasn't supplied.

"We are unable to break it down," Patricia Gutierrez of the public information office for Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody’s Office wrote in an email. "After the registered sex offenders are found to possibly be non-compliant we further our investigation and confirm. Once we confirm, a warrant is issued. So at this point we do not release a breakdown."

Patch then asked for a list of addresses subject to the referenced warrants. The spokeswoman's reply: "We have not issued any warrants. As mentioned below, we confirm first that they are not in compliance. Once it’s confirmed the warrant is issued. As of now, we are still in the process of confirming. You can check the courts and have access to all the warrants issued."

The Texas Department of Public Safety maintains a database where members of the public are able to check addresses of registered sex offenders in their area. The information is often helpful in knowing which houses children should avoid, particularly during Halloween. That database can accessed by clicking here. The Round Rock Police Department maintains a separate database, accessed by clicking here.

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