The Wininger Law Firm - August 8, 2012
- Sexual Abuse
Sex offender registration is a system in various states designed to assist local government authorities in keeping track of the residence and activities of sex offenders. Sex offenders are required to register with state sex offender registries and also with the police department. Whenever a sex offender moves, he needs to register his new address on the state offender registry site and also notify local police of his new address. In many jurisdictions, registered sex offenders are subject to restrictions which include being in the presence of minors, and living in proximity to a school or day care center.
In Decatur, Alabama, a convicted sex offender was behind bars facing three charges associated with being a convicted sex offender.
Decatur Police said that Alton Bedingfield of Roswell, Georgia, was allegedly residing in Decatur without complying with the law, which required him to register as a sex offender with the local law enforcement agencies.
According to investigators, Bedingfield violated not only registering, but other provisions of the Alabama Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. He also failed to register his address and violated employment restrictions when he moved to Decatur.
Bedingfield was taken into custody in the Studio 9 Motel and arrested by police. The 49-year-old man was working within 2,000 feet of a city elementary school. He is now in Morgan County Jail with a bond set at $10,000.
Bedingfield was convicted in 1999 for molesting an 11-year-old girl.
The Alabama Department of Public Safety Community Information Center maintains an online site with the purpose of acting as an information portal for the general public. The site allows public awareness concerning the potential threat that sex offender’s and fugitives pose to Alabama’s citizens. The site contains not only information on sex offenders, but information on Amber Alerts and missing children and adult searches, as well. The site can be found at http://dps.alabama.gov.