Baker County Man Indicted On Federal Charge Of Failure To Register As A Sex Offender
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Joshua Dale Whitt (25, Macclenny) with failing to register as sex offender. If convicted, Whitt faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to the indictment, on or about January 2, 2013, Whitt was convicted of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in Clermont County, Ohio. Subsequent to his conviction and between January 22, 2018, and May 2, 2018, he traveled from Ohio to Florida and failed to register as a sex offender as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. The Adam Walsh Act also provides for the use of federal law enforcement resources, including the United States Marshals Service, to assist state and local authorities in locating and apprehending non-compliant sex offenders.Â
This case was investigated by the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Department of Justice
Office of the U.S. Attorney
Middle District of Florida
Source: Justice.gov