A convicted child-sex offender from Ohio who moved to Utah five years ago was arrested Thursday night for failing to register with the state as a sex offender.
Failing to properly register is a federal offense under the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act of 2006. If convicted, Mark Hodges could spend up to 10 years in federal prison and pay a $250,000 fine.
Hodges, 33, who was convicted in Ohio of unlawful sexual contact with a minor, moved to Utah five years ago, said U.S. Marshals Chief Deputy Jim Thompson. In Ohio, he was known as Mark Tolman.
Hodges lived in Orem before moving to Roosevelt. He was married two years ago in Utah. His wife, however, was not aware of his past, Thompson said. When Hodges married, he took his wife's name in "a deliberate attempt to leave his past behind," Thompson said.
Neither the Hodges nor Tolman name was registered as the state requires for convicted sex offenders.
The U.S. Marshals' Joint Criminal Apprehension Team received a tip from Ohio that Hodges was living in Utah. Thursday night, agents went to Roosevelt and arrested him. He was brought back to Salt Lake County and booked into the county jail.
Although there was no evidence Friday that Hodges committed any new offenses while living in Utah, Thompson said his office would look into it just to make sure.
Hodges was scheduled to make his initial court appearance Monday.
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