U.S. Marshals Seek 600+ Unregistered AZ Sex Offenders

"Adam Walsh Act" Designates U.S. Marshals to Catch Unregistered Sex Offenders Phoenix, AZ The "Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act" was signed into law by President Bush on July 27, 2006 in Washington, on the 25th anniversary of Adam's abduction and murder. The Act makes it a federal felony for convicted sex-offenders who fail to register with their local authorities. The U.S. Marshals Service was designated by the Act as the agency to lead the national effort to track down and arrest these fugitive felons. "We have been working with our state and local partners for some time to go after sexual predators, but when this legislation is fully implemented, unregistered sex offenders will be considered federal fugitives, and they will be a priority for Deputy U.S. Marshals across this country, " said John Clark, Director of the Marshals Service. Because of the high priority given to locating and apprehending sexual predators and unregistered convicted sex offenders, the USMS has entered into a partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which provides high-profile cases and facilitates contact with state agencies that maintain sex offender registries. "We look forward to working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to arrest those sex offenders who lurk in our neighborhoods, and threaten the safety of our children and communities," added Clark. Nationally, from October 1, 2005 through July 26th of this year, the U.S. Marshals arrested 1,257 fugitives who were wanted for committing felony sex offenses, 1,849 for violent sexual assaults, and 718 who fail to register as sex offenders. As of July 27, 2006, law enforcement authorities within the State of Arizona have arrested approximately 414 sex offenders. Additionally, current figures indicate that there are nearly 680 individuals in Arizona who are considered fugitives as a result of failure to register as sexual offenders. United States Marshal for the District of Arizona, David Gonzales stated "When fully implemented, this act will eliminate the hodgepodge of 50 different state sex offender registration programs that make it difficult for law enforcement to monitor, track, and arrest sex offenders." The U.S. Marshals Service is the nation's oldest federal law enforcement agency. U.S. Marshals annually capture more federal fugitives than all other federal law enforcement agencies combined.