SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — During a sweep Feb. 6-9, State Police and the U.S. States Marshal Service issued 80 violations to registered sex offenders in Cabell, Putnam and Lincoln counties.
As part of an effort called “Operation Frostbite,” troopers checked 369 registered offenders. There were 74 minor violations and 6 serious violations, according to U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of West Virginia John Foster.
“Four people were caught with child porn while they were doing this sex offender round up,” Foster said. “One person was caught with a firearm and one person actually had warrants for sexual assault and some other violations in both Cabell and Putnam counties.”
Foster stressed to reporters Friday at State Police Headquarters in South Charleston that the round up was not “a witch hunt.”
“In no way, shape or form are we out trying to catch somebody to make it hard on them. However, the law does require that the West Virginia State Police go out and look for sex offenders and make sure that they stay in compliance,” he said.
Currently, there are a total of 5,585 registered sex offenders in West Virginia, according to State Police Lt. Michael Baylous.
Of that total number, 4,335 are lifetime sex offenders, 105 are 10-year registrants that are not on the public registry and 1,100 are not on the registry due to incarceration.
Baylous said just because someone is not on the registry doesn’t mean they’re not a sex offender.
“One reason could be that they simply haven’t been caught yet. The other reason is they may be incarcerated or there may be other logistical issues that need to be addressed to get them on the registry,” he explained.
“Operation Frostbite” is an annual roundup conducted by State Police and the U.S. Marshal Service to help keep children safe in West Virginia, Baylous said.
“We are very fortunate to have them and that they’re helping ensure the safety of our children,” he said.