Cabell County man sentenced to federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -  A 55-year old Cabell County man was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced.  Daniel Walter Varnes, of Huntington, West Virginia, had previously entered a guilty plea before Chief District Court Judge Robert C. Chambers.

Varnes was convicted in 2000 in Colorado of Sexual Assault of a Child Under Age 15 by a Person in a Position of Trust and was required to register as a sex offender as a result.  In August 2014, Varnes moved to Huntington, West Virginia, and did not register as a sex offender despite knowing it was required by law.   He continued to reside and work in Huntington without registering until his arrest on February 6, 2015. 

The United States Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is responsible for the prosecution.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, U.S. Attorney Goodwin’s ongoing initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse in the Southern District of West Virginia.