The Izard County Sheriff's Department is requesting assistance from the public in locating Joel Griffith, a 51-year-old man recently charged with a failure to comply with Arkansas sex offender registration laws. According to the department, Griffith is a white male, approximately six feet tall, weighing 190 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair.
Griffith was charged on Monday in Izard County with failure to comply with sex offender registration and reporting requirements, a Class C felony. Sheriff Charley Melton has accused Griffith of attempting to circumvent legal obligations by providing law enforcement with an address where he was not residing and failing to inform authorities of his actual location.
Griffith reportedly informed investigators in mid-September that he was moving into a home on Pleasant Ridge Road in Oxford. Later, he stated he had until September 24 to relocate from that address. On September 25, when contacted by an investigator about his plans, Griffith said he and his mother were traveling to Little Rock to look for housing. He was instructed to inform law enforcement of his new address and to register in any county where he relocated.
After further investigation, officials determined Griffith had not been living at the Pleasant Ridge Road property as he previously claimed. In addition, his wife told authorities on Monday she had not been in contact with him but believed he was in Little Rock. His current whereabouts remain unknown.
Griffith's legal troubles include a prior July arrest in Fulton County for violating sex offender registry requirements. Authorities are actively seeking information on his location and are urging anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts to contact the Izard County Sheriff's Office at 870-368-4203 or reach out to their local law enforcement agency.