Sex offender law to be enforced at Wayne fair
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on September 22, 2016 9:57 AM
esmith@newsargus.com
A new North Carolina sex offender law will affect the Wayne County Regional Agricultural Fair this year.
Recent changes were made to North Carolina General Statute 14-208.18, which delineates places where it is unlawful for a sex offender to be on the premises. An update to section (a)(4) of the statute now includes language making it unlawful for sex offenders to be on fairgrounds "during the period of time that an agricultural is being conducted."
Maj. Tom Effler with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office will have deputies at the fair enforcing the law, and that people can report known sex offenders they see at the fair to deputies or call 911.
"We'll have to know someone's there, and if they're on the property they are violating the law," Effler said.
There is a website provided by the state that lists sex offenders so they are easily identifiable to the public.
It can be found at http://sexoffender.ncsbi.gov/search.aspx and the public can search sex offenders that live near them by searching an address, can search by name or can search by latitude and longitude to find the addresses of sex offenders near the coordinates they enter.
"The Wayne County District Attorney's Office has advised that they will prosecute cases brought to them involving registered sex offenders found on the premises of the Wayne County Regional Agricultural Fair in violation of N.C.G.S. 14-208.18," a press release on the new law reads. "This includes parking lots used solely by the Wayne County Regional Agricultural Fair. Also, the Wake County District Attorney's Office has advised they will prosecute cases brought to them involving registered sex offenders found on the premises of the NC State Fairgrounds in violation of N.C.G.S. 14-208.18 during the North Carolina State Fair."