Cabell County man pleads guilty for failure to register as a sex offender

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -  A 55-year old Cabell County man faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty today to failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced.  Daniel Walter Varnes, of Huntington, West Virginia, 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.  As a result of that conviction, Varnes was required to register as a sex offender.  In August of 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 court scheduled sentencing for Varnes for August 10, 2015, in Huntington, West Virginia.

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

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