Sheriff urges sign-ups for sex offender registry alerts

Bartholomew County authorities are hosting a regional meeting on best practices for the Indiana Sex Offender Registry.

Convicted sex offenders are required to annually register information to authorities including their address, phone number, vehicles they own or operate and have valid ID or driver’s license with their current address. Failing to complete those registration requirements is a felony.

Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers says that you can use the registry online to track sex offenders in your area. You can choose a local address and the registry will provide a list of all registered county sex offenders living within a one-mile radius within the county selected.

Myers encourages residents to take advantage of the online option for free email notifications. When a sex offender registers with the county Sheriff’s Office in Indiana, you will be alerted if the offender’s address is within one mile of the address you have entered on your subscription.

He says the registry is designed to increase community safety and awareness, but not to take action against anyone on the list. The sheriff says that anyone taking illegal action against a registered sex offender is opening themselves up to arrest and prosecution.

Myers said that since 2018, tracking of sex offenders in Bartholomew County is up 111 percent. He credited Rudy Olivio, the department’s sex offender coordinator and with deputies who aggressively track offenders who live or work in Bartholomew County.