Sex offender arrested for allegedly failing to register with authorities

Damarian Tyrell Ford - Submitted photo
Damarian Tyrell Ford - Submitted photo

A sex offender who reportedly moved from Little Rock to Hot Springs without notifying authorities here was arrested on a felony charge Wednesday.

Damarian Tyrell Ford, 42, who lists a Portland Street address, was taken into custody shortly before 4 p.m. and charged with failure to comply with sex offender registration and reporting requirements, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

He remained in custody Thursday in lieu of a $3,500 bond and is set to appear today in Garland County District Court.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Hot Springs police Officer 1st Class Taylor Gates responded to a residence in the 200 block of Portland regarding an alleged theft and spoke to a woman who stated the person she believed had committed the theft was Ford, who lived at that residence.

Gates asked a dispatcher to run a criminal history check on Ford, who came outside while Gates was still waiting on the response. While talking to Ford, Gates was informed he was a sex offender and that his status was delinquent.

Gates asked Ford where he last registered and he stated it was in Little Rock. He reportedly admitted he had moved to Hot Springs about three months ago, so he was arrested for being out of compliance.

Detective Brian Branstetter interviewed Ford after reading him his rights and he again reportedly admitted to moving to Hot Springs and residing on Portland for two to three months and that he had not registered with the HSPD as required.

Under the law, a sex offender is required to register with authorities in a new city within five days of moving there.

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