Sex offender arrested for not registering

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

DA investigator Jason Rowland and Police Lt. Derwin Adcock lead Stanard Phillips II in cuffs from the Stroud Street residence where he had been staying illegally for several weeks. (Duane Sherrill photo)

A convicted child molester was arrested Friday morning after lawmen raided the home where he was staying and charged him with failing to register his whereabouts with the state sexual offender registry.

The defendant, Stanard Phillips II, 24, is charged with failing to notify the registry of a move within 48 hours and staying in a residence with a minor child. Both charges are Class E felonies, carrying one to two years apiece, and both also carry mandatory minimum 180-day jail sentences.

According to District Attorney General Dale Potter, Phillips had been staying at a friend’s home on Stroud Street for over two weeks. The duplex is located within the McMinnville Housing Authority, meaning the housing agency could take action against the registered resident of the dwelling where Phillips had been allowed to stay. The legal resident of the apartment is the girlfriend of Phillips’ halfbrother, Alex Delgatto, who was also arrested during the raid Friday for outstanding warrants from Coffee County.

Potter said lawmen learned of Phillips’ illegal lodging and tried on several occasions to locate him in the housing development. Lawmen eventually obtained a search warrant after the residents refused to answer the door on several occasions.

Phillips was found inside once officers made entry. Also found inside was a 2-year-old child, bringing the additional charge since part of Phillips’ prison release terms included not living under the same roof with any minor child who is not his own. A 5-month-old child was also staying at the apartment at times during Phillips’ stay.

Potter said Phillips was on the sexual offender registry for sexual battery involving a 13-year-old. Details of the charge were not available at press time. Potter said Phillips’ last known residence was the prison in Harden County.

Potter said one of the biggest problems the state sexual offender registry has is making offenders inform them of new addresses when they move from one jurisdiction to another. The registry is designed to keep track of convicted sex offenders so lawmen and the general public can know their whereabouts by simply looking on the Internet.

Local officers rounded up several unregistered or incorrectly registered sex offenders last year, many of whom are still awaiting their day in court.