First of its kind Sex Offender Task Force Takes Aim on Capitol Area

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For Immediate Release	Contact:
February 20, 2009	Brian L. Lucio, MLFTF Coordinator/PAO (225) 620-4561

First of its kind Sex Offender Task Force Takes Aim on Capitol Area

Baton Rouge, LA – On February 19, 2009, a first of its kind task force targeting sex offenders conducted their inaugural field operations in the Middle District of Louisiana. The U.S. Marshals Service led Sex Offender Locate and Arrest Team (SOLAT), a component of the Middle Louisiana Fugitive Task Force (MLFTF), was developed in October of 2008 as an initiative to assist law enforcement agencies in locating sexual offenders that relocate to areas outside the investigators normal jurisdiction without complying with
registration requirements. The SOLAT is comprised of Sex Offender Investigators from several state and local agencies in the Baton Rouge area. In addition to conducting monthly multi-day field operations, SOLAT investigators will lead several larger scale sex offender fugitive operations throughout Louisiana’s Capitol area in 2009. The SOLAT also conducts random compliance checks of the highest level convicted sex offenders.

Joseph Waddell, 35, became the SOLAT’s first arrest for charges of failure to register as a sex offender from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office and parole violation by the Louisiana Office of Probation and Parole. Although he was registered residing at an address in the 14000 block of East Azalea Park, Waddell was located at an apartment complex on North Boulevard in Baton Rouge. Waddell is a violent and sexual offender whose criminal history includes numerous arrests with convictions for attempted Armed Robbery and Carnal Knowledge of a Juvenile.

“This concept was designed to arm our law enforcement partners with another tool to combat the sex offenders that refuse to comply with registration requirements. Our intention is to use this task force as a model to establish similar teams in other parts of the country.” said U.S. Marshal Carey Jenkins.

Partnering agencies of the SOLAT include the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police Department, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana Office of Probation and Parole, and the Louisiana State Police. For more information about the U.S. Marshals Service, visit http://www.usmarshals.gov/district/la-m/index.html.