Authorities have arrested a 45-year-old sex offender in Mountain Home who had been wanted since September for failing to register his address as required by law.
The Baxter County Sheriff’s Office announced that James Lee Lane, who had been featured on the department’s 'Most Wanted' list, was taken into custody on Thursday morning at an apartment on North Church Street where he was reportedly hiding.
The arrest followed a bench warrant issued in September after Sheriff’s Deputy Tanner Anderson determined Lane had left a court-ordered recovery facility without authorization. Lane, who previously claimed to be homeless, was required by law to register his address with the sheriff’s office but allegedly failed to do so after being discharged from the center for disciplinary violations, according to the department.
Deputies learned that Lane might be staying at an apartment belonging to his estranged wife, who is on probation with Arkansas Community Correction and had a search waiver on file. Deputy Anderson and enforcement officers with Arkansas Community Correction conducted a search of the residence Thursday morning, where they found Lane hiding in a closet in a back room.
Lane was arrested without incident and transported to the Baxter County Detention Center. He was booked on charges of failing to register as a sex offender and contempt of court. Officials confirmed Lane is being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in circuit court on December 7.
Baxter County Sheriff John F. Montgomery thanked both the sheriff’s deputies and Arkansas Community Correction agents for their work in locating Lane.