A convicted sex offender from Oregon will soon return to his home state - at the expense of a Pennsylvania county. According to Berks County District Attorney John Adams, the offender will be flown to Eugene, Oregon, where he will face additional criminal charges for failing to register as a sex offender in that state.

In April of 2007, the offender was sentenced in Oregon to 120 days in prison and five years of probation after pleading guilty to a sex crime equivalent to the charge of indecent assault in Pennsylvania. After serving his jail sentence, the offender allegedly fled the state and headed for the East Coast. According to court records, he had been living in Pennsylvania since March 23, 2009.

The 53-year-old man was arrested on July 24, 2009 in Washington Township for failing to register as a convicted sex offender in Oregon. He was sentenced to nine to 23 months in Berks County Prison.

Recently, the offender completed his Pennsylvania sentence. However, District Attorney Adams refused to release the man from custody because he was homeless, stating that he posed a danger to local residents. Under Pennsylvania's Megan's Law, homeless sex offenders are not required to report their location to state police.

After Adams sought to have the offender extradited to Oregon, Berks County Judge Linda K.M. Ludgate gave Adams one week to work out extradition arrangements. Originally, Oregon did not want the offender back, saying that the state could not afford to transport him. However, after Adams offered up $1500 in transportation fees, officials in Oregon agreed. The offender will soon be flown to his home state, where he will be charged with violating his parole.

Source: Reading Eagle, "Berks to return Oregon sex offender", Holly Herman, 1 April 2011