‘Failure to register’ nets sex offender 60 years

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A Willis man was convicted to 60 years in prison Tuesday for failure to register as a sex offender.

A Montgomery County jury in the 435th District Court found Roderick O’Keith Smith, 59, guilty of failure to register as a sex offender Monday, and District Court Judge Michael T. Seiler sentenced Smith to 60 years in prison on Tuesday.

“We are very pleased with the jury’s verdict and the judge’s sentence,” said assistant prosecutor Shanna Redwine. “Both the jury and the judge obviously appreciate the danger of having a convicted sex offender just roaming about in Montgomery County unsupervised.”

Redwine prosecuted the case along with assistant county prosecutor Tyler Dunman.

In June 2012, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office was assisting the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies in conducting a random sex offender compliance check throughout Montgomery County, when it was discovered Smith had relocated away from the location where he had previously registered as a sex offender. Smith failed to notify the Montgomery County Sex Offender Compliance Unit prior to his move.

During a follow up investigation, MCSO detectives discovered that several months prior Smith had moved from his then registered address in Conroe to separate addresses in Willis and in Spring.

Smith was previously convicted of felony aggravated sexual assault in 1989 for the brutal rape of a Harris County woman.

Following parole from prison for his 1989 criminal conviction, Smith was required to register as a sex offender for life and ordered to follow certain regulations and laws applicable to sex offenders in the state of Texas.

Those regulations included providing law enforcement with information about where he lived and, if he decided to move, he was also required to notify and meet with law enforcement prior to any move. Smith failed to comply with either requirement.

“Sex Offenders are the most dangerous types of offenders and it is paramount that they follow the rules placed upon them for if or when they are released from prison,” said Redwine.

Monday was not Smith’s first ‘failure to register as a sex offender’ conviction. In 2006, Smith was convicted and sentenced for failure to meet with and provide information to law enforcement as required by the sex offender law.

In addition, Smith has prior convictions including aggravated assault, possession of a controlled substance, driving while intoxicated, and other offenses.

Smith had been to prison three other occasions prior to committing his most recent felony offense.