A Sequoyah County man pleaded guilty Monday to a federal charge of failing to register as a sex offender.

During his plea hearing, Shawn Lloyd Hinckley, 27, admitted he failed to register as a sex offender pursuant to the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. The act is one provision found in the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, which was passed by Congress on July 27, 2006.

Officials said Hinckley is the first person to be charged in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Oklahoma under provisions of the law, which is named after the slain son of “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh.

The law expands the federal sex offender registry, strengthens federal penalties for crimes against children, makes it harder for sexual predators to contact children on the Internet, and creates a national child abuse registry.

U.S. Deputy Marshal Dan David said Hinckley moved to Oklahoma in 2005 from Washington, where he pleaded guilty to third-degree assault with sexual motivation. Hinckley was arrested March 15 in Sequoyah County for failing to register as a sex offender after relocating to Oklahoma in accordance with the new federal law.

David said Hinckley’s arrest was the culmination of an investigation by a deputy marshal assigned solely to investigate alleged violations of the Adam Walsh law that occur in the U.S. District of Eastern Oklahoma. The law, David said, directs the U.S. Marshals Service to work with state and local authorities in locating, apprehending and prosecuting those who fail to comply with the law.

“This deputy marshal works within the U.S. Marshals Violent Offenders Task Force, where offenders — mainly those with violent criminal histories to include sex offenders — are identified and then tracked down and arrested,” said U.S. Marshal John Loyd. “The task force is comprised of local police officers, agents and (Oklahoma) Highway Patrol troopers working under the direction of the U.S. Marshals Service.”

Court records show Hinckley’s original arrest in Washington was on a charge of the third-degree rape, stemming from Hinckley having nonconsensual sex with a live-in girlfriend. His conviction for the less serious crime was the result of a plea agreement struck with prosecutors.

Hinckley later pleaded guilty in Washington for failing to register as a sex offender. Court documents indicate Hinckley notified Washington state officials of his move to Oklahoma, but failed to register with authorities here.

Hinckley’s lawyer alleged in motion to dismiss that local authorities learned of Hinckley’s failure to register after he became a crime victim himself.

U.S. Attorney Sheldon Sperling said Hinckley faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A sentence hearing will be scheduled upon the completion of a presentence investigation.

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