BEDFORD — A Bedford man is facing felony charges after authorities say he failed to comply with Indiana sex offender registration requirements related to updating his identification and reporting a change in employment.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Chief Deputy Brandon Blackwell of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, 54-year-old Roosevelt F. Hawthorne Jr. is accused of failure to register as a sex offender and failure to maintain a valid identification card with his current address, both Level 6 felonies.
Court documents state Hawthorne reported to the sheriff’s office on March 20 to register with the county’s Sex and Violent Offender Registry coordinator after moving back to Lawrence County on March 18. He reportedly listed a residence in the 1300 block of Fourth Street in Bedford as his new address.
Investigators allege Hawthorne’s Indiana identification card still reflected a Bloomington address and had not been updated within the required 30-day period.
The affidavit also states registry coordinator Alissa Shoults encountered Hawthorne on April 16, when he allegedly told her he had lost his job the previous week. Authorities say registered sex or violent offenders are required to report changes in employment within 72 hours.
According to the affidavit, Hawthorne later reported the employment change that same day. However, investigators determined his employment had ended on April 7, more than a week earlier.
Authorities also noted Hawthorne has a prior conviction for failure to register as a sex or violent offender.
