County issues warant, summonses to three sex offenders

~ A letter campaing revealed the men had fail to registered as required by law.

A warrant was issued for one man and summonses for two others who had not been in compliance with state-required registration laws for convicted sex offenders.

All convicted sex offenders are required to register with the county they live in. Depending on the nature of their crime, they are required to reregister either every 90 days or year. If they move, the convicted offender must tell both the county they're leaving and the one they're moving to.

In December, the sheriff's department hand delivered 30 letters to convicted sex offenders who lived within 1,000 feet of a school or day care. On Aug. 28, 2004, a law went into effect forbidding any convicted sex offender from living inside that radius, which is about one-fifth of a mile.

The letters requested the convicted offenders supply proof that they had lived at their residence before the law went into effect, making them exempt.

Three offenders did not respond to the letter, and their information was forwarded onto the prosecutor's office, who issued the warrant and summonses Thursday.

A $2,500 cash-only bond was set in the arrest warrant for Ronnie W. Preyer, 44, of 315 Mill St., who is charged with misdemeanor failure to register a change of address.

When a sheriff's officer went to the home Preyer listed as his address, 1020 Sturdivant Ave., a woman answered the door, according to a probable cause statement.

The woman said Preyer did not live or stay at the home, and she did not know the defendant, according to the statement.

Officials later learned from a search with the Missouri Department of Revenue that Preyer had a driver's license and identification card issued Aug. 4 for the Mill Street address.

Preyer was convicted of rape and second-degree robbery in New Madrid County On Nov. 11, 1989.

Marcus G. Locke, 33, of 807 William St., received a summons for two counts of misdemeanor failure to register as a sex offender.

Locke was convicted Aug. 31, 1990 in Madison County of felony sexual assault of a 13-year-old, according to a probable cause statement.

On Aug. 4, 2005, Locke registered as a sex offender at the Cape Girardeau Sheriff's Department.

Because of the victim's age, Locke is required by law to reregister with the department every 90 days, according to county Prosecutor Morley Swingle.

Locke failed to register Nov. 5, 2005 and Feb. 5, 2005 as required by law, according to the statement.

Henry D. Wilson, 62, of 2617 Maria Louise Lane, received a summons for misdemeanor failure to register as a sex offender.

On Oct. 25, 1991, Wilson was convicted of sexual assault in Tennessee, but he has never registered in Cape Girardeau County and is not on the Missouri sex offenders list, a probable causes statement said.

Both Locke and Wilson were summoned to appear at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse March 16.

Since 2004, there have been 14 cases submitted by the sheriff's office to the prosecutor's office, Swingle said.

Of those cases, five were closed, four remained opened and three were under review, he said. The prosecutor's office declined to pursue charges in the other two cases.

Swingle said his office and the sheriff's department had been somewhat lenient in the past in regards to the 2004 law as it was new and some convicted sex offenders may not have known about it.

Cape Girardeau County was not obligated to deliver the letters, Swingle said, and it would not be done again.

"We're not going to give warnings anymore," Swingle said. With recent media attention surrounding convicted sex offender laws and the length of time the laws have been on the books, convicted offenders should know what they are required to do, Swingle said.

During sentencing and probation hearings for convicted offenders, they are told what the law requires of them, according to Swingle.

"I think we do a good job of letting sex offenders know if you don't register, something's going to happen to them." he said.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

335-6611 extension 127