First arrest made in Southern District under child protection act

Keywords neglect
  • Print

A sex offender from Iowa who recently moved to southern Indiana has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Indianapolis for failure to register as a sex offender.

Jeffrey L. Wilcox, 41, formerly of Des Moines, Iowa, is the first person charged in the Southern District of Indiana under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. The act imposes criminal penalties against sex offenders who travel across state boundaries without registering as a sex offender in the state they reside, work, or attend school.

The indictment Thursday followed an investigation by the U.S. Marshal’s Service and the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Department and alleges between March 1 and June 8 of this year, Wilcox traveled in interstate commerce and knowingly failed to register as a sex offender. He came to Evansville from Iowa with a friend and obtained a job, got an apartment in Evansville, and remained in Evansville for three months.

Wilcox is a registered sex offender in Iowa but never registered in while living and working in Indiana. Wilcox was arrested in Iowa on the complaint in late June and is in the process of being transported back to Indiana. An initial hearing before a U.S. magistrate judge in Evansville will be scheduled after his return. He faces a maximum of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Please enable JavaScript to view this content.

{{ articles_remaining }}
Free {{ article_text }} Remaining
{{ articles_remaining }}
Free {{ article_text }} Remaining Article limit resets on
{{ count_down }}