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Violation of Sex Offender Registration Act

DATE & TIME: 02-10-2017 / 1159

LOCATION: NEAPCO, 501 West Sargent Street, Beatrice, Nebraska

OFFENSE: Violation of the Sex Offender Registration Act

CASE #: 2017-0435   

The Gage County Sheriff’s Office conducted a joint investigation with Nebraska State Probation Officers and arrested Michael Ray Melroy, age 25 of Beatrice, at NEAPCO in Beatrice for violation of the sex offender registration act.  Melroy was transported to the Gage County Detention Center and booked into the jail.

The case was activated when a Nebraska State Probation Officer contacted an investigator for the Gage County Sheriff’s Office about a probationer who was not following the terms of his probation and was also a registered sex offender.  The investigator and the probation officer, during the course of the investigation, learned that Melroy was working at NEAPCO and had been assigned there through a temporary staffing agency in Beatrice.  When the investigation was initiated, Melroy had been working at NEAPCO since October 28, 2016 and through the initial date of the investigation in January, was there for 94 days.  A registered sex offender must report his employment or change in employment to the sheriff’s office within three business days and Melroy had not done so.

Nebraska Revised Statute 29-4002 reads:

Legislative findings.

The Legislature finds that sex offenders present a high risk to commit repeat offenses. The Legislature further finds that efforts of law enforcement agencies to protect their communities, conduct investigations, and quickly apprehend sex offenders are impaired by the lack of available information about individuals who have pleaded guilty to or have been found guilty of sex offenses and who live, work, or attend school in their jurisdiction. The Legislature further finds that state policy should assist efforts of local law enforcement agencies to protect their communities by requiring sex offenders to register with local law enforcement agencies as provided by the Sex Offender Registration Act.

The Gage County Sheriff’s Office is the agency in Gage County that is mandated to maintain and update information regarding registered sex offenders.  Each registered sex offender receives official correspondence and notification of their reporting requirements and the location they are to report such information.

Some of the information collected by the Gage County Sheriff’s Office is utilized by the Nebraska State Patrol to report information to the public about registered sex offenders.  Information on registered sex offenders available to the public can be accessed online at https://sor.nebraska.gov/

The Gage County Sheriff’s Office webpage offers additional information to the public on registered sex offenders and is available at http://www.gagecountysheriff.us/sexoffenders .

At any given time there are approximately 60 registered sex offenders living in Gage County.  There are currently approximately 58 registered sex offenders living in the cities, towns, villages, and rural areas of the county.

Investigators from the Gage County Sheriff’s Office are currently conducting additional investigations cases for violations of the sex offender registration act by registered sex offenders.

Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson #903

Investigator T. Hanson #90310

Deputy A. Schaefer #9037