There were 21 registered sex offenders living in Oconee County as of the week ending Dec. 6, according to the Georgia Sex Offenders Registry.
Among them, one was considered a sexual predator by the Registry. In Georgia, a sexual predator is an individual who is determined by the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board to be at risk of perpetrating any future dangerous sexual offense.
The Registry also shows that one of these sex offenders is currently incarcerated.
Sex offenders in Georgia remain on the Sexual Offender Registry for life unless removed by a court order or other legal means. Any individual who fails to register when required “shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than 30 years,” according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Under Georgia law, sex offenders must register with the sheriff in their county of residence, employment, and schooling. They must update their information within 10 days of any change and notify authorities when moving in or out of state.
The number of registered sex offenders in the U.S. has climbed to approximately 795,000 as of August 2024—an increase of nearly 43,000 individuals (about 6%) since 2019. As of that same month, Georgia’s registry includes around 24,730 individuals.
| Offender | Status | Crime |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas William Turnbull | Incarcerated | Sexual exploitation of children |
| Alemi Arroyo Ayala | Not Incarcerated | Statutory rape |
| Benjamin Scott Simms | Not Incarcerated | Sexual exploitation of children |
| Billy Elder | Not Incarcerated | Criminal attempt to commit a felony |
| Crescencio Arturo Espinosa | Not Incarcerated | Sexual exploitation of children |
| Donald Memory Gearin | Not Incarcerated | Aggravated child molestation |
| Fernando D. Carr | Not Incarcerated | Obscene internet contact – obscene communication |
| George David Fielding | Not Incarcerated | Aggravated assault |
| Kenneth Alan Kunkle | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| Kenneth Simpson | Not Incarcerated | Sexual battery against a child under 16 years of age |
| Kenneth Wayne Gordon | Not Incarcerated | Statutory rape |
| Kevin Scott Hawkins | Not Incarcerated | Statutory rape |
| Lolan Ernest Reeves | Not Incarcerated | Sexual exploitation of children |
| Martin Miles Bodie | Not Incarcerated | Obscene internet contact – obscene communication |
| Michael Sebastian Hancock | Not Incarcerated | Statutory rape |
| Nicholas Wayne Hughes | Not Incarcerated | Rape 2nd degree |
| Sanchez Demario Jones | Not Incarcerated | Statutory rape |
| Timothy Denoris Duncan | Not Incarcerated | Sexual battery against a child under 16 years of age |
| Travis Allen Pirtle | Not Incarcerated | Child porn |
| Wendy Katherine Packer | Not Incarcerated | Statutory rape |
| William Henry Allen | Not Incarcerated | Purchase or possession of child pornography |
Information in this article was obtained from the Georgia Sex Offender Registry. The source data can be found here.
