Operation “Creepy Crawlers” Nets 10 Convictions in DeSoto County
HERNANDO, Miss. – A summer crackdown by the DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office and the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office has led to 10 convictions of sex offenders who failed to register as required under Mississippi law.
The joint initiative, called Operation Creepy Crawlers, targeted offenders who did not comply with registration requirements designed to keep communities safe.
“In Mississippi, failure to register as a sex offender is a serious felony,” District Attorney Matthew Barton said. “Sex offenders do not get the freedom to roam free in Mississippi. If you are caught doing it, we are going to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
Offenders are required to keep the Mississippi Department of Public Safety updated on changes such as addresses or other personal information. Violations can result in prison sentences, heavy fines, and suspension of driving privileges.
Assistant District Attorney Hadden Boren prosecuted the cases. Barton emphasized that the effort is part of his office’s ongoing mission to monitor, investigate, and prosecute those who attempt to skirt the state’s sex offender registry laws.
The District Attorney’s Office urges residents to learn more about sex offender registration laws through the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.
