Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced To Nearly Four Years In Federal Prison For Failing To Registe

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Gilberto Morales, 30, of Pawtucket, a convicted sex offender in Wisconsin, was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Providence to 46 months in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for failing to register as a sex offender, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, United States Marshal Jamie A. Hainsworth and Pawtucket Police Chief Paul King.

On June 12, 2012, Morales pleaded guilty in federal court to failing to register as a sex offender, admitting to the court that he failed to register in Rhode Island as required by law, after he moved from Wisconsin to Pawtucket in June or July of 2011. Morales has a 25-year duty to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), and also under Wisconsin and Rhode Island state law. Morales was convicted in Wisconsin in February 2003 of second degree sexual assault of a child. He was also convicted in Wisconsin in September 2006 with failing to register as a sex offender.

SORNA provides a comprehensive set of federal standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States through the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs. Additionally, SORNA requires registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school, and to make periodic in-person appearances to verify and update their registration information.

Shortly after Morales’ arrest in Rhode Island in July 2011 for failing to register as a sex offender, an investigation by Pawtucket Police resulted in charges being brought against Morales for the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old Pawtucket girl. It is alleged that the assault took place shortly after Morales moved to Rhode Island. He is currently awaiting trial in state court on two counts of first degree child molestation, two counts of second degree child molestation and one count of failure to register as a sex offender.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Rogers. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr.

Rhode Island State Police assisted in the investigation of this matter.

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