(Rock Springs, Wyo. – October 15, 2015) — A registered sex offender living in Rock Springs who was jailed Wednesday may be facing a lengthy prison term.
Martin James Peterson, 49, was arrested in Rock Springs by detectives of the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and charged with two counts of failure to register as a sex offender (3rd offense), which carries a maximum possible penalty of 10 years of imprisonment for each charge.
Sheriff Mike Lowell said Peterson’s arrest occurred during the course of a routine registered sex offender compliance check. Sex offenders as defined in Wyoming statute must be in compliance with state law by registering with the state Division of Criminal Investigation through local Sheriff’s Offices. Offenders are photographed and fingerprinted. They must also provide a range of information, including address, place of employment, and vehicle information. In addition, they are also required to notify authorities if they move, change jobs, or change vehicles.
Peterson was convicted of sodomy in Taney County Circuit Court in Branson, Missouri, in 1990. According to court records, the victim in the case was 13 years of age at the time. He served time in prison, and is believed to have surfaced in Rock Springs in the mid-1990s.
He was charged with and convicted of failure to register as a sex offender in Circuit Court in Green River in 2006, and once again in District Court in 2007, for which he was sentenced to a term of three to five years. His prison time was suspended, and he was placed on three years of probation.
During the investigation that resulted from the compliance check, county detectives determined that Peterson had failed to register two Dodge pickups he had acquired, a white 2000 1500 model and a blue 2008 2500, and arrested him.