COLUMBUS, Ind. — Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies arrested a local man Tuesday on a warrant for four counts of invasion of privacy and failure to register as a sex offender.
At 8:52 p.m. Tuesday, Deputy Anthony Bagby attempted to serve the warrant on Jeremiah Burris, 39, Columbus, who was wanted on the charges.
As they approached Burris’s residence, deputies could hear a Burris talking inside. Burris opened the door but immediately closed it after seeing deputies approaching.
Eventually, Burris was arrested without further incident. He remains in the Bartholomew County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bond, jail officials said.
“We take this very seriously” said BCSO Chief Deputy Major Chris Lane. “When sex offenders fail to register, it becomes a risk to our community and it’s a public safety issue,” he said.
“We give these people every opportunity to register because we want them to be compliant. However, the bottom line is – if they are in non-compliance, we will search for them, we will find them and they will be arrested,” he said.
“Sex offenders in Bartholomew County are being held accountable,” said Bartholomew County Sheriff Matthew A. Myers. “We have a better tracking system than ever before and we have established a good working relationship with the Bartholomew County Deputy Prosecutor Greg Long.”
Myers is currently evaluating the need for addition staff in BCSO’s Sex Offender Office.
Bartholomew County residents may view the website: http://www.icrimewatch.net/indiana.php to research important neighborhoods and addresses. You can also register to receive email notifications on registered sex offenders within proximity of these addresses.
