FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: February 28, 2008 Corey Britt Deputy United States Marshal Tyler, Texas (903) 590-1370 ext. 230   FORMER POLICE OFFICER AND SEX OFFENDER ARRESTED IN HOUSTON   Today, Christopher Michael Hennessy was arrested by the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force in Houston, TX. Hennessy was wanted by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office on arrest warrants for probation violation / motion to adjudicate guilt, instant offense of sexual assault of child, possession of controlled substance, and failure to comply with sex offender registration laws. Information developed by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office revealed Hennessy was working and living in the Houston, TX area under a new identity. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office forwarded this information to the Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force (JETFT) in Tyler. The information was forwarded to the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force who arrested Hennessy this morning. Hennessy is in the Harris County Jail awaiting extradition back to Cherokee County. Hennessy was a City of Rusk Police Officer when he was arrested for sexual assault of a child in 2004. Hennessy was convicted in 2005 and received 10 years deferred adjudication. Hennessy has been a fugitive since 2006. Annually, investigations carried out by the U.S. Marshals result in the apprehension of approximately 34,000 federal fugitives. More federal fugitives are arrested by Marshals than all other federal agencies combined. The Joint East Texas Fugitive Apprehension Task Force is a team comprised of law enforcement officers from 56 law enforcement agencies in the East Texas area. The task force objective is to seek out and arrest federal, state, and local fugitives, mainly those with violent criminal histories to include sex offenders. Last year, U.S. Marshals task forces arrested more than 27,000 state and local fugitives on felony charges. Additional information about the U.S. Marshals can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.