No One Knew Where a Level 3 Sex Offender Was Until He Stabbed Someone
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No One Knew Where a Level 3 Sex Offender Was Until He Stabbed Someone
He is also a man with a lengthy criminal history that not only includes sex offenses but a dizzying array of crimes.
Until Monday night, Bates was registered with the state of Rhode Island’s Sexual Offender database as residing in Westerly — just one problem, he actually had been living in Providence.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTHow long had he been living in Providence — weeks or months, but no one seems to know.
Bates' Long Record
According to just a sampling of Bates' court records, he was charged with assault and escape by an inmate in 1986. He also escaped from the ACI in 1993. He was arrested by West Warwick police in 1994 on felony assault charges and sentenced to ten years with three to serve.
Bates was arrested by Westerly Police on domestic assault and firearm felony charges in 2007 and sentenced to ten years with four to serve. Bates faced felony charges of being a fugitive from justice as far back as 1998, and records showed he faced them again in September 2016.
Bates also has sex assaults in his court record. In 2005, he was charged with first-degree sexual assault in Rhode Island and was sentenced to 25 years with 12 to serve
The sex offender registry for Rhode Island shows his status stems from a 2016 sexual assault conviction in Tennessee.
Bates Not in Westerly, But Providence
On Monday night at about 9:30 PM, Provident police were called to Cambridge Street in the Olneyville section of the city for a report of a stabbing.
The alleged victim of Bates told police how the violence unfolded.
According to police, the victim said when he found out his roommate, Bates, who had been living with him for several weeks, was a registered sex offender, he approached Bates about it.
The victim told police when he confronted Bates, an argument ensued followed by a physical altercation, at which time the victim said Bates grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed him before fleeing the apartment.
The victim sustained injuries to his stomach and was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police searched the apartment but were unable to locate a weapon; Bates is still at large. His status in the sexual offenders' registry has now been changed to "WANTED."
Within the state’s sex offender registry process, the responsibility for compliance and monitoring has a number of complexities.
Registered sex offenders are required by law to notify law enforcement when they move to a new location.
"Sex offenders are also required to register with the police departments in the municipality of their latest residence. We have someone assigned to the unit, who does the registrations nonstop," said Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements.
Failure to register is a felony.
"[Sex offenders] are usually pretty responsive — especially when they generally don't want to go back to prison," said Clements regarding the registry. "But they can also be quite transient, moving around a lot."
Major Laurie Ludovici of the Rhode Island State Police tells GoLocal, “Per statute, offenders are required to register with the local police department in the city or town where they reside and to report any change in [the] required information to the local police department within 24 hours."
“I suggest contacting the managing agency or local department for questions regarding how offender compliance is monitored,” said Ludovici.
GoLocal reached out to Westerly Police Chief Shawn Lacey regarding his Department’s monitoring of Bates, but did not receive a response.
The State Police is responsible for the operation of the registry software and assisting local departments with the use of this software. Another requirement of the State Police, by law, is the public website – which is run by the registry software.
"If law enforcement receives information or discovers an offender has failed to provide a change in address, an investigation is conducted, and the offender may be charged with a felony," said Ludovici.
Now, Bates is on the run.