List prompts updates on some county sex offenders
By Lee Williams
Published in News on November 1, 2006 1:45 PM
Within hours of publication of a list of 143 registered sex offenders in Wayne County, officials tracked down new information about several offenders.
Officials discovered only six of the nine sex offenders listed on the State Bureau of Investigation Web site as having an unknown address were correct.
Sgt. John Denny of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office Support Services Division, who updates the information for registered sex offenders in the county, said the sex offenders with no current address on record now include:
*Richard L. Davis, 43, convicted of indecent liberty with a minor.
*Victor V. Escalante, 34, convicted of indecent liberty with a minor.
*Juan M. Gonzales, 25, also known as Manuel Martinez, convicted of indecent liberty with a minor.
*James A. Gufford, 25, convicted of indecent liberty with a minor.
*Anthony Mickens, 37, convicted of indecent liberty with a minor.
*Ronald Bernee Schackner, 45, convicted of indecent liberty with minor.
Denny said Tuesday that a new sex offender with no known address will be added to the list. That person was identified as Anthony Ulmer, 36, convicted of indecent liberty with a child.
A sex offender faces a felony charge for failure to register, change or verify their address, according to SBI. Sex offenders that have not changed their address are now being sought.
Addresses for three of the original nine offenders listed on the SBI Web site Sunday have now been updated, Denny said. They include:
*Devon Darden, 59, convicted of second-degree rape. He resides at 1103 E. Elm St., Goldsboro.
*Weylin D. Williams, 35, also known as Wexlin Dion Williams or Weylin Dion Williams. His address is 504 Dail St., Goldsboro.
*James E. Simms, age listed as 44 and 54, also known as James Earl Sims, convicted of indecent liberty with minor. He is being held at the Wayne County Jail.
The publication of the nine sex offenders with unknown addresses prompted a wave of calls from some offenders who knew their address had been updated. The publication also prompted questions and action at the sheriff's department.
The sex offender's list prompted calls to Goldsboro-Wayne Crime Stoppers from residents who wanted to share the information they had to track down the missing offenders. It also sparked calls from one offender who wanted his charges that were listed incorrectly on the SBI Web site clarified.
The Web site stated Donald Dolson, 53, of 411 S. William St., Goldsboro, was convicted of first-degree sex offense with a child. However, Lee County Clerk of Court officials revealed Dolson was convicted of felony attempted second-degree sex offense with a child and felony indecent liberties with a child.
Another offender, Wilbert Bynum, was listed as residing at 817 Franklin St. He is in prison, his family members say.
Sex offenders are expected to register within 10 days after they are released from prison, or immediately upon conviction for a reportable sex offense when imprisonment is not imposed, with the sheriff in the county where they live.
Reportable offenses include those involving minors such as kidnapping, abduction and felonious restraint. Reportable offenses also include rape, attempted rape, sexual offenses with certain victims or incest.
Most sex offenders have to register with their county of residence for 10 years. Sex offenders also have to register on the anniversary of their initial registration date.
If you have any information about the whereabouts of Richard L. Davis, Victor Escalante, Juan Gonzales, James Gufford, Anthony Mickens, Ronald Bernee Schackner and Anthony Ulmer call Crime Stoppers at 735-2255.
Denny said it would be easier to track sex offenders' whereabouts if they were forced to stay on probation while they remain on the sex offenders registry. Denny added that the SBI Web site that tracks sex offenders is "not perfect."
Denny fingerprints and photographs all sex offenders for the county and enters their information into the system, but sometimes, photographs that help the public identify sex offenders don't make it to the Web site right away.
"We have e-mailed pictures and we looked about a week later and it still wasn't up there," Denny said. "I think an outside firm updates it, but they don't do it every day."