Valley sex offender arrested

Published 9:21 pm Thursday, July 5, 2018

VALLEY — A Valley man who had been previously charged with sexual battery was arrested for violating the sex offender registration notification act, or SORNA, earlier this week.

On Monday, two deputies from the Chambers County Sheriff’s Department — Chief Deputy Richard Carter and Major TJ Wood — traveled to San Diego, California to apprehend David Jake Marcum, 66, who had failed to alert Chambers County authorities that he had moved.

“We didn’t know where he was,” Chambers County Sheriff Sid Lockhart said.

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According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Community Information Center, Marcum was arrested on charges of sexual battery in December of 1993. The crime took place in Florida and the victim was a twelve-year-old female.

SORNA is Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. It was created to close any gaps or loopholes in previous sex offender laws, in order to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration, according to the US Office of Justice Programs.

SORNA requires registered offenders to provide extensive registration information, make periodic appearances to verify and update their registration and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction they reside and work in.

Marcum, who lives on Hopewell Road in Valley, violated the act, requiring the deputies from the county he resides in to apprehend him.

“Especially with sex offenders and others such as that, you want to keep a tight rope on them,” said Lockhart. “You have to keep an eye on these folks.”

In other Chambers County reports, Lockhart said the Fourth of July was pretty standard in terms of calls.

Cornelius Moreland, 33 of Forest Park, Georgia was charged with possession of ecstasy pills and marijuana after being stopped by deputies on County Road 212. Deputies also discovered a warrant was out for his arrest in Georgia, making Moreland a fugitive from justice as well.

Lanett Police responded to a few reports over the holiday.

On the 1600 block of 15th Street SW, a count of menacing was reported. Sgt. Detective Richard Casner said it stemmed from an argument between brothers that ended with a weapon being drawn, but not fired.

“Menacing is when there is a weapon that could be used for deadly force that is introduced, but not necessarily pointed at someone,” Casner said. “It has to be a case where a reasonable person believes that you might use that deadly weapon on them.”

No arrests were made in that case as of the time of this report.

A Phenix City man was arrested in Lanett for a possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Bryan Stephen Green, 45, was in possession of a “straw” with residue inside of it, according to Lanett police.