Church visits get Catawba man arrested

12-8-2012 North Carolina:

A Catawba County man is in trouble with the law because he went to church, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office says.

___, 38, of Newton was arrested earlier this week on charges of being a sex offender at or near child premises.

Specifically, authorities say, ___ is a registered sex offender who is accused of violating the law that prohibits him from being near children.

Larry Seagle, a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, says detectives were contacted earlier this month by Catawba County sheriff’s deputies who said ___ was not to be within 300 feet of children’s classes.

Lincoln County officials say ___ attended worship services Nov. 24 and last Sunday at New Vision Ministries in Lincolnton. Investigators say ___ also attended Sunday school.

Deputies say that put ___ within 300 feet of the church’s day care and Sunday school classes for children. He was arrested Wednesday and released on $5,000 bond. ..Source.. by Steve Lyttle