Target 11 tracks down sex offenders who fail to register

PITTSBURGH,None — Convicted sex offenders in Pennsylvania are required to register with the state police Megan’s Law Unit at least once a year. Violent offenders are required to check in four times a year.

What happens if they don’t check in, or they lie about where they’re living or working?

Once a sex offender registers, it’s up to the local police department to check on that individual to make sure they are living and working where they say they are.

Some police departments, especially smaller ones, just don’t have the resources, and time to devote to tracking sex offenders.

Target 11 discovered one department in Western Pennsylvania that has taken the lead on tracking down sex offenders.

At the city of Pittsburgh Police Department, it’s top priority. The department even has an officer devoted to it full time.

Target 11 investigator Rick Earle traveled along with Detective Mike Veith as he went out in search of sex offenders.

Veith began this crusade several years ago, after he did some random checks and discovered that more than half of the sex offenders were not living or working where they were supposed to be.

“The public deserves to have that good feeling that police officers are our there looking for these offenders,” Veith said.

Our first stop with Detective Veith was on the South Side. We visited an apartment on Carson Street where Daniel Carter listed as his address. Carter wasn’t home, but the landlord said he was living in that apartment. Veith left his business card and told the landlord to have Carter call him. Veith said Carter needed to re-register and provide an apartment number.

Veith is responsible for tracking approximately 400 registered sex offenders who live in the city. He also keeps a close eye on some of the more violent offenders who live just outside the city limits.

He said they occasionally will migrate into the city.

Veith checks on sex offenders by conducting random unannounced inspections. And there’s no method to his system. He said he may knock on an offender’s door several times just to make sure the offender is telling the truth.

When Veith finds an offender who has lied about his location, he will get a warrant for the offender’s arrest.

Veith’s next stop was another address on the South Side for offender James Marasco.

The address turned out to be the Mercy Behavioral Health Center. Veith went inside and tried to get some information but because of the health laws he was unable to get any information.

But Veith suspects Morasco isn’t living at that address, and he said Morasco is now his top priority.

Several days later, Veith tracked down Morasco living in Homestead, and he has re-registered. Veith decided not to get an arrest warrant for Morasco.

But Veith does have outstanding arrest warrants for some more sex offenders who failed to register and he hasn’t been able to locate.

1) Tommy Hatcher never registered after he was released from the Allegheny County Jail.

2) William Wright’s last known address was on South Millvale Avenue in the Friendship section of Pittsburgh.

3) Kenneth Ray Henderson listed a relative's address when he was released from the Allegheny County Jail, but wasn't living at that address when police checked on him.

Detective Veith told Earle that cases of sex offenders lying about their location and failing to register are few and far between in the city limits.

In fact, Veith said he’s seen a 95 percent compliance rate during the last several months.

So what does he attribute that to?

“I think diligent searching, and cooperation between the U.S. Marshals and Probation and Parole. We probably have about 175 arrests in a three year,” said Veith, who indicated that he believes the message is loud and clear that sex offenders in Pittsburgh need to follow the law.

Police tell Target 11 some of the sex offenders profiled in this story may be living out of state, but that arrest warrants are still active in Pittsburgh just in case they return to the area.

WPXI