Illegal Phone and Facebook Earn New Felony for Jailed Sex Offender

LIVINGSTON COUNTY – The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office arrested an incarcerated sex offender on a felony charge for allegedly possessing an unregistered Facebook account and mobile device.

According to a press release from Livingston County Sheriff Thomas Dougherty, James Learn, 25, was arrested for felony Failure to Register and to Verify.

Learn, designated a level 1 sex offender at minimum risk to re-offend, was already held at the Livingston County Jail for an alleged violation of parole. Dougherty said that a citizen tip led the Sheriff’s Office to investigate Learn further.

It is alleged that Learn had a Facebook account and a Verizon cell phone with internet capabilities. By state law, sex offenders must register all social media accounts and aliases with New York State.

New York State Corrections Law states that any sex offender shall register no later than 10 calendar days after any change of address, internet accounts with internet access providers belonging to such offender, internet identifiers that such offender uses, or his or her status of enrollment, attendance, employment or residence at any institution of higher education.

Learn is expected to be arraigned soon. At that arraignment, he will have to be held without bail due to two prior felony convictions.

One of those felonies was Failure to Register or Verify as an E class felony, for which he was convicted in February 2015. Due to this prior conviction, this new charge is a higher D class felony.

The investigation and arrest were handled by Investigator Dan Rittenhouse of the Criminal Investigations Division of the Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone who believes they have information about illegal activities of sex offenders is urged to leave a tip on the Sheriff’s Office online tip line here. You can also reach the Sheriff’s Office at (585)243-7100. Callers may remain anonymous.