Man Indicted For Failing To Register As A Sex Offender

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Walter Boutwell, age 56, of Stephentown, New York, was indicted on September 11, 2015 for failing to register as a sex offender after he moved to New York from Pittsfield, Massachusetts without updating his sex offender registration, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian.

The charge filed against Boutwell carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life.

Boutwell was detained pending trial following a detention hearing held on September 15 before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel. His trial is scheduled for November 16, 2015 before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino.

Boutwell was charged with a violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), which requires a convicted sex offender to register where he or she resides, is employed, or is enrolled as a student, and to keep any registration current.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the United States Marshals Service Sex Offender Investigation Branch, North East Region; the United States Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force; the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Police Department; the New York State Police; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Solomon B. Shinerock.

This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.