CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Robert McKinney, 37, of Logan, was sentenced today to one year and nine months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for failing to update his sex offender registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to statements made in court, McKinney knew he was required to comply with the provisions of SORNA because of his conviction on three counts of third-degree sexual assault in Doddridge County Circuit Court on September 4, 2012. McKinney admitted that he moved to Belpre, Ohio, in August 2020, without registering his out-of-state move with the West Virginia sex offender registry or registering with Ohio, in violation of the requirements of SORNA. McKinney was discovered living in Ohio on April 7, 2021, and arrested.
McKinney was on parole for his Doddridge County convictions when he moved to Ohio. He will serve the sentence consecutively with a prison sentence imposed following the revocation of that parole. McKinley also has two prior convictions in West Virginia for failing to comply with West Virginia sex offender registration requirements.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service, West Virginia Parole Services, and the West Virginia State Police.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-253.
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