Metro East Sun

There were two new registered sex offenders living in Edwards County in August 2024 compared to the month before, according to the Illinois Police Sex Offender Registry.

The Registry showed 11 sexual offenders living in Edwards County, compared to nine the month before.

Both of the offenders who moved to Edwards County in August were sexual predators.

Sexual predators and child murderers remain on the registry for the rest of their lives.

The offenders moving into Edwards County may have been recently convicted or moved from other cities in the US.

According to a 2024 study by SafeHome.org, Illinois ranks fifth in the total number of registered sex offenders, with more than 34,000 living in the state.

Nationally, the study found over 795,000 registered sex offenders in the U.S. as of August 2024 — an increase of approximately 8,000 compared to 2023.

Offender	Title	Status	Crime
Daniel O. Pollard	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated child pornography
Dereck Wayne Welty	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 13-16
Douglas C. Bartlett	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Criminal sexual assault/victim 13-17/2nd
Howard Dale Lake	Non-verified Child Sex Offender	Compliant	Grooming
James Wallace Smith	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim <13, Failure to register new residence/school and Violate sex offender registration
Kevin Roberts	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 13-16
Leonard Cook	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated child pornography
Martin Contreras	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Child pornography victim less than 13
Richard A. Willette	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual assault/victim <9 and Criminal sexual assault/force
Robert Persiani	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 13-16
Terry L. Mize	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 13-16, Child sex offender present in a school zone and Violate sex offender registration