CLEARFIELD – A local sex offender has been accused of failing to comply with Megan’s Law registration requirements.
James Lyle Turner Jr., 36, of DuBois was originally charged by Trooper Derek C. Weaver of the Punxsutawney-based state police with three felony counts of verify address or photograph as required.
Turner waived one count to county court for further disposition. The two other counts were withdrawn, according to online court records. His bail is set $20,000 monetary.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Weaver was assigned an investigation into Turner’s Megan’s Law registration, as it was suspected that he was being non-compliant.
On Oct. 19, state police interviewed two witnesses. The first witness indicated that Turner’s place of employment, as listed on the Megan’s Law Web site, was not current, and he hasn’t been there since December of 2016.
She also indicated that Turner no longer resided at his listed physical address on the Colonel Drake Highway in Bell Township.
She said she learned about his change in address through conversation with Tuner’s family. She said Turner has been living at 417 N. Fifth St., DuBois, for months now.
Weaver then interviewed a second witness. She said Turner had been living there at the Bell Township address, but in September, he got into an altercation with them and left. Since then, she said he’s been living at the DuBois address.
She indicated that Turner isn’t any longer self-employed, and is currently working for his girlfriend’s business.
Weaver interviewed Turner’s state parole officer, Harry Byerly. He said Turner was on parole, has been living at a DuBois address and he wrote up an authorization for Turner to live there around September.
Byerly said at that time, he also instructed Turner to register his new address with Megan’s Law, as required.
He provided Weaver with Turner’s cell phone number, which also was not registered, but had been in Byerly’s system since May. Byerly said he’s contacted Turner at that cell phone number on several occasions.
Weaver also interviewed Casey Loos of the Pennsylvania Megan’s Law Section. She confirmed through certified records that Turner is currently in violation due to not properly registering his change in address, employment address and phone number.