Detectives monitor more than 300 sex offenders in Boone County
A sex offender in Columbia is back at home after police said he repeatedly violated orders to stay at least 500 feet away from schools and public parks.
Police arrested Andrew Spain Wednesday for being on the property of Douglass Park at Providence and Rogers Street. He was released on bail a short time later.
The Boone County Sheriff’s Department said Spain has been arrested two other times for not registering as a sex offender in the past.
Spain’s address in the Boone County Sex Offender’s Registry is 506 Rogers Street, which is less than 500 feet away from Jefferson Middle School and Douglass Park. CPD said they have a different address listed for Spain. However, that address listed in the arrest report is also less than 500 feet from Downtown Optimist Park.
Detective Tom O’Sullivan with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department said all sex offenders in the county are required to register their address, employment, vehicle information and more. And they must check in regularly with the sheriff’s department.
Tom O’Sullivan, Boone Co. Sheriff’s Department: “Depending on what their crime was, they have to periodically return to the sheriff’s department-some people it’s 60 days, 90 days, some people it’s six months, some people it’s once a year.”
The Missouri State Highway Patrol says there are about 14,400 registered sex offenders in Missouri. More than 300 of those are in Boone County.
O’Sullivan said he believes there are very few convicted sex offenders that are not registered with the county because punishment can be severe. The highway patrol website said if an offender fails to register a new address one time, it is a felony. If they fail to register three times, they can be sent to prison for 10 to 30 years.
O’Sullivan said three or four times a year, detectives knock on the doors of the offenders’ homes to make sure they are living where they say.
O’Sullivan: “We have two detectives specifically assigned to monitor the sex offender registrations. And they ride herd on those 300 people and we do periodic roundups where we go out and knock on doors and make sure these people are living where they’re supposed to be living.”
O’Sullivan said the periodic check-ups usually lead to several arrests. Offenders must register within three days of their conviction or moving to Missouri.
O’Sullivan also said there are restrictions on sex offenders specifically for Halloween. On that day, the law states they must avoid all contact with children, stay in their home from 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., post a sign that says, “no candy at this residence,” and leave all outside house lights off during the evening hours.
