Full Notification

The Columbia Township Police recently concluded investigations on two local registered Sex Offenders, resulting in each subject being charged with violating the Sex Offender Registry Act.

These most recent charges follow the arrest last month of a sex offender that had been attempting contact with a minor, by using a fictitious Facebook account (that case was previously reported).

It should be noted that sex offenders are required by law to disclose, among other things, email addresses and accounts, such as Facebook. This information can be critical, as evidenced by the prior case of the suspect using a bogus Facebook page to contact a minor.

Columbia Township Police not only register the sex offenders in our area throughout the year, we also go out quarterly and knock on their doors to confirm they are residing where they claim. Most recently, we have also begun to check to verify if the offenders have fully disclosed information such as Facebook usernames. This led to the two most recent charges.

Reports were completed, and were forwarded to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office for review. On approximately April 2, 2014, warrants were authorized for Richard Thomas Shong, 30 years, of Brooklyn, and Thomas William Romer, Jr., 60 years, also of Brooklyn, charging each with one count of “Sex Offenders-Failure to Comply with Reporting Duties”.

The charge is a “High Court Misdemeanor”, punishable by up to 2 years imprisonment, and up to a $2,000.00 fine. Both subjects were recently arrested and lodged at the Jackson County Jail, and have since bonded out.

These arrests and charges should serve as a reminder to Registered Sex Offenders to fully disclose all necessary information as required by law.

Additionally, parents and children should be mindful of the potential of Sex Offenders to use the anonymity of the Internet to prey on children.