East Central Reporter

There was one new registered sex offender living in Effingham County in the week ending Dec. 15 compared to the week before, according to the Illinois Police Sex Offender Registry.

The Registry showed that, in total, 37 sexual offenders were living in Effingham County, compared to 36 the week before.

Of the one offenders who moved to Effingham County at the time, one was a sexual predator and one was a sexually violent person.

Sexual predators and child murderers remain on the registry for the rest of their lives. Sexually violent people are no longer listed 10 years after their conviction.

The offender moving into Effingham County may have been recently convicted or moved from other cities in the US.

According to a 2024 study by SafeHome.org, Illinois ranks fifth in the total number of registered sex offenders, with more than 34,000 living in the state.

Nationally, the study found over 795,000 registered sex offenders in the U.S. as of August 2024 — an increase of approximately 8,000 compared to 2023.

Offender	Title	Status	Crime
Blake William McWhorter	Non-verified Child Sex Offender	Compliant	Child sex offender present in a school zone, Criminal sexual abuse/vic 13-17, Violate sex offender regisistration/2nd and Violate sex offender registration act
Robert Ernest Lee	Non-verified Child Sex Offender	Compliant	Criminal sexual abuse/vic 13-17, Violate sex offender registration and Violate sex offender registration act
Jeremy L. Christy	Non-verified Child Sex Offender	Compliant	Grooming
Easton Shue	Non-verified Child Sex Offender	Compliant	Public indecency/exposure/3rd+, Public indecency/lewd exposure and Public indecency/sex
Jerad Brantley Gale	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sex abuse/bodily harm
Richard Lloyd Bailey	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sex abuse/bodily harm
John Allen Fairbanks	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sex abuse/victim 13-16, Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 9-16 and Violate sex offender registration
Betty J. Robinson	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse
Robert Glenn Siler	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse
Clinton J. Matlock	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 13-16
Derek Scott Lingafelter	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 13-16
Eric Michael Hutchinson	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 13-16
Harold L. Marcellus	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 13-16
Kenneth R. Fitzgerald	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 13-16
Marc Lee Ohnesorge	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 13-16
Paul Stephen Ruffner	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 13-16
Travis W. Feldhake	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 13-16, Failure to report a change of address/employment and Failure to report annually
William Eugene Lowe	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 13-16 and Predatory criminal sexual assault
Larry Allen Bedwell	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim <13
Lawrence Arthur McFall	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim <13
Christopher Gordon	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual assault/victim <9
William W. Klitzing	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Child pornography/film/photos
John J. Sheehan	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Child pornography/reproduce/sell
Ryan Allen Edwards	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Child pornography/reproduce/sell
Jeffery W. Koester	Sexual Predator	Non-Compliant	Child pornography/solicit and Failure to report a change of address/employment
Merl D. Wheeler	Sexual Predator	Non-Compliant	Criminal sexual abuse force
Jamie L. Crum	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Criminal sexual assault
Jesse John Schniederjan	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Criminal sexual assault/force and Felony conviction after 7/1/2011
Robert W. Callis	Sexual Predator	Non-Compliant	Fail to report weekly/no fixed address, Predatory criminal sexual assault and Violate sex offender registration
William Dean Krone	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Indecent solicitation of a child
Bret A. Crooker	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Predatory criminal sexual assault
Jerry Lee Edwards	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Predatory criminal sexual assault
Jonathan S. Ohlman	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Predatory criminal sexual assault
Travis Joe Gillespie	Sexual Predator	Compliant	Predatory criminal sexual assault and Violate sex offender registration
Brian C. Anderson	Sexually Violent Person	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 13-16
Gary Lamar Mayfield	Sexually Violent Person	Compliant	Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim <13 and Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim <9
Deandre Lamont Daniels	Sexually Violent Person	Compliant	Predatory criminal sexual assault