Investigators with Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office expect to arrest at least six people following its regular address compliance check on registered sex offenders living in the county.
During the past two weeks, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, along with U.S. marshals, conducted an “address compliance check” of the 120 to 125 registered sex offenders located in Lowndes County. Once the checks were completed, anyone found to not live where they were registered had a warrant issued for their arrest.
As a result of this check, four were arrested, and one subject is still being sought. Another subject is being held in another county on separate charges, but will later be brought to Lowndes County to face charges. Those arrested include Dallas Wyatt Burkholder, Demasico Hicks, Vernon Simelton and Randy Scott Watkins.
Burkholder, 21, of West Point was convicted in 2015 for statutory rape and is currently out on bond. Hicks, 31, of Columbus, was convicted in Lowndes County in 2008 for rape and carnal knowledge of a child under 14 years old. Hicks is currently at Mississippi Department of Corrections. Simelton, 35, was convicted in Washington in 2006 for statutory rape and touching a child or a mentally defective, incapacitated or physically helpless person for lustful purposes.
Watkins, 29, of Philadelphia, was convicted in Lowndes County in 2009 for touching a child or a mentally defective, incapacitated or physically helpless person for lustful purposes. He is currently out on bond.
A warrant is outstanding for Ormega Jackarlo Smith, 40, of Columbus, for failure to report as a sex offender. Smith was convicted in 2002 in York, South Carolina for a sexual or lewd act. LCSO also has a warrant for Linious Bell, 48, for failure to register as a sex offender.
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