BEDFORD – A Bedford teen was arrested Thursday on a felony charge of failure to register after investigators say he did not report required information to the sex and violent offender registry, according to an affidavit filed in Lawrence County.
James Evan Jett, 19, is charged with failure to register, a Level 6 felony.
According to the affidavit filed by Lawrence County Detective Michael Williams, officials were notified May 6, 2025, by the county’s SVOR coordinator that Jett allegedly failed to comply with registration requirements after new information was discovered during a probation check.
Investigators said Boone County Probation officers learned on April 29, 2026, that Jett had an email address associated with him that had not been registered with the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, as required. The affidavit states the email address was identified during a probation compliance check.
Officials reported that Jett’s last verification with the registry occurred on Feb. 27, 2026, and his last annual verification was completed on Jan. 29, 2026, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit states Jett had not contacted the sheriff’s office to register the email address within the required 72-hour notification period after obtaining it. Investigators also noted prior documentation indicating Jett was attending Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington.
According to the affidavit, Jett failed to register the email address as required under Indiana law.
Williams concluded in the affidavit that there was probable cause to believe Jett committed the offense of failure to register.
Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
