A man is in custody after law enforcement said he failed to register as a sex offender.
Investigator Destin Johnson from the Tate County Sheriff’s Office identified the subject as Joseph Edward Justice, 49, of Coldwater. Justice was arrested Tuesday, Jan. 11, and held at the Tate County Jail under a $100,000 bond.
Johnson said TCSO opened an investigation Monday, Jan. 10, regarding Justice after he failed to register as a sex offender in accordance with state law.
The Mississippi Sex Offenders Registration Law, mandated by federal legislation, requires the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (MDPS) to maintain a registry of persons residing in this state who have been convicted of certain sexual offenses or attempted offenses.
Individual sheriff’s offices across the state are ultimately responsible for keeping tabs on sex offenders in their respective counties with routine checks to ensure they are in compliance. All registrants are required to personally appear at any driver's license station in the state to re-register every 90 days.
