ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA - A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging convicted sex offender Christopher Barker, 27, of Follansbee, West Virginia, with moving across state lines without updating his sex offender registration status, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Barker, also known as Christopher D. Cooper, was previously convicted in Ohio County, West Virginia of “First Degree Sexual Assault Involving a Minor." As a result of that conviction, Barker is required to register as a sex offender. Barker is alleged to have moved from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Follansbee, West Virginia in late 2015 without updating his sex offender registration status.
Barker is charged with one count of “Failure to Register and Update Registration as a Sex Offender." He faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Vogrin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Police Department are investigating.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
