East Central Reporter

There were five new registered sex offenders living in Effingham County in January compared to the month before, according to the Illinois Police Sex Offender Registry.

The Registry showed 39 sexual offenders living in Effingham County, compared to 36 the month before. During this period, two offenders left Effingham County and five moved into the area.

Of the five offenders who moved to Effingham County in January, three were sexual predators.

Sexual predators and child murderers remain on the registry for the rest of their lives.

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