Mentone Man Arrested After Failing To Update Address For Sex Offender Registry
Mentone Man Arrested After Failing To Update Address For Sex Offender Registry
Posted
Amanda Bridgman-
Mentone Man Arrested After Failing To Update Address For Sex Offender RegistryA 57-year-old sex offender was arrested recently for failing to update his address with the sheriff’s office.
Donald Lee Heeter, 57, of 3692 S. Ind. 25, Mentone, was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail at 8:12 p.m. Sunday and faces a Level 6 felony failure to register charge.
According to court records, on Sept. 1, 2016, Heeter was convicted of a Level 6 felony possession of child pornography charge after police found 24 photos of nude children between ages 3 and 5 on his cell phone.
Heeter was sentenced to one year and six months in prison.
Upon his release, Heeter was required to register as a sex offender and keep his address and the like current with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office.
On Sunday, a KCSO deputy responded to a parking lot after a 911 caller reported a man – later identified as Heeter – was cat calling young female customers and employees in the parking lot.
The caller gave police the make, model and license plate number of the pickup truck the man was it, according to court papers.
Upon arrival, police located the truck and ran a BMV inquiry. During this time, Heeter exited the business, approached the truck and denied any inappropriate interactions with young girls, according to the affidavit.
The officer’s NCIC/IDACS inquiry on Heeter returned and showed his license was suspended and that he was a sex offender, according to court papers.
The BMV noted a recent address change on the officer’s inquiry, according to court records, and Heeter admitted he just recently moved to 3692 S. Ind. 25, Mentone, but said he had not been able to make it to the sheriff’s office to update his sex offender registry because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Heeter also allegedly told police he had moved to Warsaw prior to moving to Mentone, which was not updated on the registry.
The sheriff’s office was open and available for sex offenders to register during Heeter’s period of registration, court papers state. He was required to update the sheriff’s office of any change of address within 72 hours of such change.
