Caldwell Man Sentenced Federally for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender
Currently Serving Fixed 12-Year Sentence in Idaho for Sexual Abuse of Minor
BOISE – Joshua James Stueckle, 29, of Caldwell, Idaho, was sentenced today to 46 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for failing to register as a sex offender in Idaho or update his status in Oregon, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Stueckle appeared before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise. He pled guilty to the charge on June 19, 2012.
According to the plea agreement, Stueckle is required to register as a sex offender due to a prior conviction for sexual abuse in the first degree, in Deschutes County, Oregon. Court records show that Stueckle last registered on January 12, 2011, in Bend, Oregon. A 16-year-old girl living in Caldwell, Idaho, told investigators that she met Stueckle on-line, and on July 5, 2011, he came from out-of-state to see her. According to the girl's mother, Stueckle began living with her daughter at their home, but later moved into an apartment on the property. Stueckle signed a lease on July 27, but moved out on October 5, 2011.
On October 11, a Caldwell Police detective investigating an alleged sex crime involving Stueckle, located him at the Haunted World in Canyon County, Idaho. Stueckle told the detective that he was homeless and had been staying in a variety of residences and a local park. A check with the Idaho State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification found no record of Stueckle registering as a sex offender. Stueckle's registration status in Oregon was listed as noncompliant, because he failed to update his address and notify authorities that he had moved out-of-state.
Earlier this year, Stueckle pled guilty in Canyon County to sexual abuse of a minor and is serving a fixed sentence of 12 years, up to 30 years at a Idaho Department of Correction facility as a result of that conviction. His federal sentence will run concurrent with the state sentence.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Caldwell Police Department.
The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), which was passed by Congress in 2006, requires sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction where they reside, are employed or are students. Violations of SORNA can be prosecuted in federal court.