FL: Sex offender blames COVID-19 quarantine for not registering

[ocala-news.com – 5/27/20]

A convicted sex offender from Ocala says he failed to register in April as required by law because he was in quarantine.

Christopher Anthony Votos, 65, of 4064 SW 50th Road, was charged recently with failing to register biannually as a sex offender. Votos was convicted in August 2015 of using a computer to solicit or lure a child to engage in sexual conduct and is required to register twice a year – in April and October. Florida Department of Law Enforcement records show he has registered 10 time since his conviction.

On May 19, Votos reported to the lobby of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Sexual Predator Unit (SOPU) to update his vehicle information. A deputy checked the FDLE offender watch and saw Votos had not registered in Marion or any other Florida county, nor had he been arrested, during the month of April, according to the sheriff’s office arrest report.

A sign had been posted March 30 on the front door of the SOPU saying the lobby would be closed temporarily and registrations would be conducted through the lobby door, due to the threat of COVID-19 contamination. The sign instructed offenders to wait in line a safe distance from one another, and when it was his or her turn to register, to approach the door and call the phone number on the sign. Registration would then be conducted through the door, the report said.

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What the hell was this guy thinking …

He will be charged with FTR and no one will give a DAAAAM !

This is sickening. This has to stop. This man paid his debt to society, which must not have been too severe because he was convicted in 2015 so he has already served time and completed probation and is now registered probably fro life.

So, will the judge look at him following the governor’s direction and the public health order associated with it as conflict with the law or just fault him as a law breaker regardless? Time will tell…

Realistically what’s the point of having someone’s face posted on the Megan’s Law website when everybody’s wearing masks it’s kind of pointless now …things are about to change in a real way sit back get your tickets and enjoy the show it’s about to get interesting

@TS Most people driving in their car aren’t pulling up to their driveway with a mask on. Or they’re not sitting in their neighborhood diner with a mask on. Those are just commn sense things. Masks give protection when we’re around people, not when we’re in a car by ourselves or sitting on our porch by ouselves or walking down an empty sidewalk in the neighborhood by ourself-those are examples of how people spot sex offenders in their neighborhood. Offenders can’t hide behind masks unless they plan to have them on 100% of the time, which was my original point before you started splitting hairs.

I live downtown once I walk out my door with or without a mask chance’s of someone noticing me from Megan’s law website are very slim