ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Shawn Peterkin, 38, formerly of South Carolina, was charged with one count of failure to update his sex offender registration status. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Lee, who is handling the case, stated that Peterkin was convicted in 2011 of Taking Indecent Liberties with a Child in North Carolina and was required to register as a sex offender. The defendant first registered in North Carolina in 2013. Subsequently, Peterkin relocated to South Carolina and registered as a sex offender in October 2014. The defendant failed however to update his registration in June 2015 and a warrant was issued by South Carolina authorities in November 2015. The U.S. Marshal’s Service found Peterkin residing in Rochester in February 2016. When the defendant was confronted, he admitted he was wanted in South Carolina for failure to register as a sex offender.
The arrest is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the United States Marshal’s Service, Marshal Charles Salina.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
