Current Issues

FRIST STATEMENT ON U.S. MARSHALS CRACKDOWN ON SEX OFFENDERS

Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act Contributes To Arrests

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., (R–Tenn.) today made the following statement regarding an announcement by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Director John F. Clark regarding a recent operation that led to the arrest of 1,659 sex offenders:

            “I applaud the U.S. Marshals Service and all federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that contributed to capturing these dangerous criminals. Sexual predators are an insidious threat to our nation’s children, and thanks to this historic effort thousands of them will be taken off the streets.  Creating a national sex offender registry and focusing federal resources toward capturing sexual predators sends a clear message to these criminals that you can run but you can’t hide.” 

Operation FALCON III produced the largest number of captured offenders ever in a single law enforcement effort. The operation was conducted in 24 states east of the Mississippi River, in the District of Columbia and in Puerto Rico and led to the arrests of 10,733 fugitives.  Deputy Marshals joined thousands of officers, deputies, troopers, agents and investigators from other federal, state and local agencies to conduct the operation which ran from Oct. 22-28, 2006. Those targeted for arrest included fugitives wanted for committing sexual offenses, homicide, kidnapping, robbery, burglary, carjacking, weapons offenses and major narcotics distribution. 

The operation received support from the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, sponsored by Senator Frist and named after the murdered son of “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh.  The new law creates a national sex offender registry and directs federal resources to rounding up sexual predators, helping state and local governments catch convicted individuals who failed to register in communities where they live.

Of the 1,659 fugitive sex offenders apprehended, 971 were wanted on charges of failing to register as a sex offender.  One such arrest took place on Oct. 24, 2006, when investigators arrested Allen Marksberry in Rickman, Tenn.  Marksberry was an unregistered sex offender, stemming from a 1996 conviction of sexual assault of a child who was under eight years old.  Marksberry is now in custody facing additional charges.