'Operation Stop' Tracks Down Sex Offenders In Rogers, Mayes, Craig Counties

A new task force just wrapped up days of tracking down sex offenders in Rogers, Mayes and Craig Counties.

Two dozen officers had to find more than 250 of them during Operation Stop.

Rogers County deputy Daniel Welch and Mayes County deputy Bobby Walker knocked on a lot of doors to make sure sex offenders are registering, living where they say, not too close to a school and other rules.

"He's on a job site in Keystone right now," Rogers County Deputy Daniel Welch said.

Sex offenders who aren't home get a door hanger that says they must call the DA's office within 24 hours.

Those who are home answer questions.

"Do you have any others living with you at this residence?
"How often you do you register?"
"Do you have any computers or Internet at this residence?"

District attorney Matt Ballard says the goal is not to harass those following the rules but to clamp down on those who are not, because the whole idea of a sex offender registry is to keep people be safe.

These deputies agree people want and need to know where sex offenders live and work.

"It's one of those touchy subjects,” Welch said. “There are victims in these crimes, and it's also a crime against society and the public has a right to know."

250 registered sex offenders live in the three counties -- half of them live in Rogers County alone.

Those sex offenders who are not registering or following the rules will be prosecuted and could go back to jail.

You can check the sex offender registry in your county by clicking here 

In Rogers County, officers arrested a sex offender after they say he tried to pass off a pile of rubble as his home of record.

Jimmy Weeks has two previous convictions for lewd molestation, one conviction for failing to register as a sex offender and one for living too close to a school.

Deputies say the house Weeks claims to be living at now is basically a pile of rubble.

They say Weeks told them he was working on it and stayed in the back.

Officers say they asked Weeks to open the door and let them see inside to prove it's a livable residence, but they say he refused, saying the place was a mess.

They say Weeks then told them he was living in a trailer, but officers say it also appeared unlivable.

Records show Weeks was convicted in 1986 for molestation and got 30 years in prison, but he served half that.

He was convicted of molestation again in 2000 and got a 12-year sentence and served half of that one as well.

In 2010, he was convicted of failing to register and living too close to a school and got a 3.5-year sentence and he served half before being released.

Weeks currently is in jail for failing to register as a sex offender.

5/5/2016 Related Story: Repeat Sex Offender Living Near Foyil School, Daycare Bonds Out Of Jail