Sex Offender Sentenced to 18 Months for Failing to Register

POCATELLO - Geoffrey Lee Hungerford, 25, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.  Hungerford pleaded guilty to the charge on June 24, 2015.

According to court records, Hungerford was convicted in 2011, in Oregon of attempted rape and was required to register as a sex offender.  Hungerford last registered a mailing address in Oregon in March 2014.  He admitted in court that he failed to register in Idaho in January 2015, after moving to Idaho Falls.  When arrested, Hungerford told law enforcement that he knew he had to register, but had forgotten.

The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Idaho Falls Police Department.

Hungerford was prosecuted for a violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) passed by Congress in 2006.  The Act requires sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction where they reside.  Violations of SORNA can be prosecuted in federal court.