𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐱 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞

According to Morgan City Police Chief Chad Adams, a convicted sex offender has been arrested on a Morgan City Parade Route. Thomas E. Devaul age 45 of Cotton Road in Patterson was arrested on Monday Feb. 20th at around 7:10pm on several charges which include:

• Distributing candy or gifts on

Halloween and other public

holidays by “sex offenders”

prohibited

• Soliciting without a Permit

Resisting an Officer by False

Information

• Failure to Register as a Sex

Offender (St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s

Office)

• Unlawful Presence of a Sex

Offender (St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s

Office)

On Monday, February 20th, officers were assigned along the Hera Parade Route in the area of Seventh and Marguerite St. Officers observed a vendor that was selling novelty items and candy. Contact was made with the subject to assure that proper permits were obtained, and it was learned the subject did not have a permit. The subject initially provided officers with a false name. He was eventually identified as Thomas E. Devaul.

Upon conducting verification checks on Devaul, it was learned that he was a convicted sex offender out of the State of New York. Louisiana Law Prohibits him to distribute anything to children during holidays or events such as Mardi Gras.

Officers made contact with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender Division due to Devaul stating that he was staying in their jurisdiction in Patterson, LA.

Investigators did verify the information that Devaul was a Tier 3 Sexually Violent Offender out of New York. Devaul failed to register with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office as required by law once he established residency in Patterson. Warrants were prepared by the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and Unlawful Presence of a Sex Offender.

Devaul was arrested and transported to the Morgan City Jail where he was booked and processed.