PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh police are searching for a man who has been convicted of crimes against children and failed to register as a sex offender.
Target 11’s Rick Earle learned Thursday that Thomas Hiles is a sexually violent predator who is known to change his appearance, as evident in previous mugshots.
Investigators told Earle that a warrant has been issued for Hiles’ arrest after he failed to check in with police in April.
“Basically, he's on the run right now, so our major concern, is especially being a sexually violent predator, that’s a huge concern for us. We don't know his whereabouts,” Pittsburgh Police Detective Mike Veith, who is in charge of keeping tabs on the city’s 500-plus registered sex offenders, said.
Hiles has been on the run before. According to Veith, Hiles was arrested in 2014 after failing to register as a sex offender.
Veith said Hiles was convicted of indecent assault in 2007 and then again in 2012 in Fayette County.
Investigators said in the most recent case, he exposed himself and fondled two 8-year-old girls.
Hiles, who served time at Pittsburgh’s State Correctional Institution, put a homeless shelter in a church on Smithfield Street as his last known address, police said.
Veith, who has been working with U.S. marshals to locate Hiles, said he’s reached a dead end and could use help from the public.
“We don't know (where he could be), so any help from the public would be appreciated and we can take it from there,” Veith said.
Hiles was also on the run in 2014 after failing to register as a sex offender.