May: Number of registered sex offenders living in Tallapoosa rises
Overall, there are 30 sex offenders currently living in Tallapoosa.
The Registry shows that one of these sex offenders is a sexual predator. In Georgia, a sexual predator is an individual who is determined by the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board to be at risk of perpetrating any future dangerous sexual offense.
The Registry also shows that five of these sex offenders are currently incarcerated.
Sex offenders in Georgia remain on the Sexual Offender Registry for life unless removed by a court order or other legal means. Any individual who fails to register when required “shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than 30 years,” according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Under Georgia law, sex offenders must register with the sheriff in their county of residence, employment, and schooling. They must update their information within 10 days of any change and notify authorities when moving in or out of state.
The number of registered sex offenders in the U.S. reached approximately 795,000 as of August 2024, an increase of nearly 43,000 individuals (about 6%) since 2019. In the same month, Georgia’s registry listed nearly 25,000 individuals.
| Offender | Status | Crime |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Michael Benefield | Not Incarcerated | Sexual exploitation of children |
| Bob Jerald Duncan Jr. | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| Bradley Claude Wright | Not Incarcerated | Rape |
| Cecil Ray Wright | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| Daniel Scott Fore | Not Incarcerated | Aggravated child molestation |
| Daniel Warren Blasdell | Not Incarcerated | Criminal sexual conduct |
| David Russell Gaddis | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| Ernest William Patterson Jr. | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| Gary Lynn Burgess | Not Incarcerated | Rape first degree |
| Isaac Matthew Santiful | Not Incarcerated | Sexual battery misdemeanor |
| James Michael Wright | Not Incarcerated | Sexual assault by teacher/assault principal/other administrator engaged in sexual contact with another individual enrolled at school |
| James Ray Watkins | Incarcerated | Aggravated child molestation |
| Jeffery Boyd Brady | Not Incarcerated | Statutory rape |
| Jeffrey Allen Cohran | Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| John Charles Sanders | Not Incarcerated | Aggravated child molestation |
| Joseph Earl Griffin | Not Incarcerated | Lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 |
| Joshua Ryan Hughes | Not Incarcerated | Aggravated child molestation |
| Kerry Levi Rudeseal | Incarcerated | Aggravated child molestation |
| Kohlton Alex Sheets | Incarcerated | Sexual battery against a child under 16 years of age |
| Lee Anthony Williams | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| Macon Leroy Mathias Jr. | Not Incarcerated | Sexual exploitation of children |
| Matthew Christian Gray | Not Incarcerated | Possession of child pornography on computer |
| Michael Christopher Reynolds | Not Incarcerated | Sexual exploitation of children |
| Peter G. Gearhart | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| Randell Lee Mauri Jr. | Not Incarcerated | Sexual abuse 1st degree |
| Ronald Hightower | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| Ronald Lee West | Not Incarcerated | Indecent liberties with a minor |
| Thomas Ashley | Not Incarcerated | Possession of child pornography on computer |
| Thomas Barker Sr. | Not Incarcerated | Aggravated child molestation |
| Timothy James Cole | Incarcerated | Aggravated assault with an intent to rape |