Chris Hosey, Director of Georgia Bureau of Investigation | gbi.georgia.gov
Chris Hosey, Director of Georgia Bureau of Investigation | gbi.georgia.gov
Overall, 15 registered sex offenders were living in the county at the time.
The Registry shows that none of these sex offenders are sexual predators. 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.
If a sex offender moves to another county in the state of Georgia or another state in the US, they are required to register with the Sheriff in their new county or state of residence.
SafeHome.org, a security think tank, found the number of sex offenders in the US increases by roughly 32,000 a year.
Below is a breakdown of the 15 registered sex offenders in Taliaferro County as of the third quarter of 2024, including their current status and the crime they committed.
| Offender | Status | Crime |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Lee Hedden | Incarcerated | Sexual battery against a child under 16 years of age |
| Cathy Lynn Rimes | Not Incarcerated | Pimping of a person under 18 years of age |
| Cody Weldon Sullivan | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| Dennis Durell Thornton | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| Horace Lamar Wheeler | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| James Scott | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| Joseph Benjamin Clark Jr. | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| Joshua Quamaine Edwards | Not Incarcerated | Statutory rape |
| Kenneth Charles Lawson | Not Incarcerated | Aggravated child molestation |
| Latara Maria Harris | Not Incarcerated | Sexual assault against person in custody, on probation or parole, patient in a hospital etc |
| Marcus Shamar Milner | Not Incarcerated | Sexual exploitation of children |
| Patrick Nicholas Alexander | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| Ricky Eugene Herrington | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| Russell Recardo Milton | Not Incarcerated | Child molestation |
| Shawn Randall Barns Jr. | Not Incarcerated | Enticing a child for indecent purposes |
Alerts Sign-up