James Terry Lawson Jr., 43, pleaded guilty on June 16 to failing to register and update his registration as a sex offender as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act after traveling in interstate commerce and relocating to West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from October 1, 2024, through May 1, 2025, Lawson resided in Vienna, West Virginia, without registering as a sex offender. Lawson was convicted of indecent liberties with children in Cabarrus County, North Carolina Superior Court on December 3, 2003. He is required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Lawson has a criminal history that includes prior convictions for failing to register as a sex offender on May 27, 2004; September 21, 2009; and July 14, 2017. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 5, 2026. He faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
United States Attorney Moore Capito announced the plea agreement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the United States Marshals Service. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. It provides minimum standards for sex offender registration across jurisdictions in which offenders reside, work, or attend school.