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October 11, 2007

Man charged for not registering as sex offender

A man who moved to Woonsocket from Massachusetts in March is the first in Rhode Island to be charged under a 2006 federal law for failing to register as a sex offender when he moved, the U.S. Attorney's office announced today.

Michael DiTomasso, 34, failed to register after moving from Milford, Mass., in March, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office said in a news release.

DiTomasso, who is required to register under federal law, traveled interstate and failed to register his new address. The charge was brought under a section of the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act known as Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and requires sex offenders who move from one state to another to register their new address.

U.S. Marshals arrested DiTomasso in Milford, Mass., on Oct. 4. According to an affidavit, DiTomasso registered as a sex offender in 1997 with an address in Milford, as required by Massachusetts law. In March 2007, eight months after passage of the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act, DiTomasso moved to a Woonsocket apartment but failed to register with Woonsocket police or notify Milford Police of his new address.

On March 27, a Woonsocket police officer found DiTomasso at his new address and told him that he should register with Woonsocket Police within a week. On April 4, after DiTomasso had note registered, Woonsocket police arrested him. Milford Police charged him with failing to update his registration.

The U.S. Marshal’s Office in Providence investigated, resulting in the Oct. 4 complaint and the indictment returned yesterday.

If convicted, DiTomasso faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

DiTomasso has been in federal custody since his arrest last week.

He is slated for arraignment tomorrow in U.S. District Court, Providence.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 11:40 AM | Permalink

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