Crime News

Sex Offender Did Not Register New Address: Police

Convicted sex offender Henry F. Worthington Jr. moved from Bucks County to South Bethlehem in 2012, but never registered new address, police say. He's now in prison.

A convicted sex offender who police said had failed to register his new South Bethlehem address under the provisions of Pennsylvania’s version of Megan’s Law was taken into custody and jailed on Thursday. Henry F. Worthington Jr., 49, of 713 E. Fourth St., moved to that address from Pipersville in Bucks County in May 2012, but failed to notify law enforcement authorities of the change in address, according to an arrest affidavit filed by Bethlehem police. The landlord of the SouthSide building where Worthington moved told police she did not know her tenant’s criminal history until several weeks after he signed a lease, the affidavit says. At that point, a family member provided her with information from the Pennsylvania State Police Megan’…

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Boscola Proposes Child Protection Legislation

Bethlehem legislator proposes a package of bills aimed at protecting children. One would limit where Megan's Law registrants can live.

  State Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-18) has introduced a legislative package that includes several bills focused on child protection, her office announced Jan. 8. “Children are our most precious resource,” Boscola said in a statement about the bills. “We owe them our love, support and every legal protection available.” Among the proposed legislation is a bill that would limit where sex offenders registered under Megan's Law can live. Specifically, under Boscola’s proposal registered sex offenders would be prohibited from living within 1,000 feet of a school, preschool, daycare facility or public playground, and from within 500 feet of a school bus stop. The subject of sex offenders living near school bus stops became a hot topic in the Saucon …

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Crime News

Police: Sex Offender Solicited 12-Year-Old Girl

Joseph Frank Gering Jr. offered to pay a 12-year-old girl $200 for sex in the McDonald's parking lot in South Bethlehem, police say.

  When a 63-year-old man was charged earlier this week in Bethlehem with offering a 12-year-old girl $200 to have sex with him, an issue arose about his address. The criminal complaint for Joseph Frank Gering Jr. lists his address as 105 N. 5th St., Emmaus, along with a post office box number. But Gering is a convicted sex offender – in fact, he is listed as a “lifetime offender” on the Megan’s Law website. Gering was convicted in 1994 of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. The website does not say where. The website lists his “primary residential address” as 1701 Catasauqua Road, Hanover Township (Lehigh County) – the address for the Scottish Inn & Suites. So the question became: Where does Gering live? Also, it is against the law for…

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Jailed Sex Offenders Can Still Get State Pensions

Pennsylvania does not keep records on felons receiving pensions

By Jared Sichel | PA Independent HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s pension system could be doling out thousands of dollars each month to jailed sex offenders. But because the state has no records on how many felons are eligible to receive their government pensions, no one really knows. An apparent shortcoming in state law that allows sex offenders to collect state pensions has irked many lawmakers amid reports that disgraced former Penn State University football coach and jailed sex offender Jerry Sandusky likely will continue to receive a $5,000-a-month pension from the Commonwealth. Sandusky, 68, was charged in November with 52 counts of sexual abuse of minors. On June 22, a jury found him guilty on 45 of those counts, some of which occurred …

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Crime News

Lifetime Sex Offender Wanted by City Police

Jose Luis Ramos failed to appear for his yearly State Police evaluation under Megan's Law.

  Bethlehem Police are looking for a “lifetime sex offender” who has not properly registered as such under Megan’s Law. Jose Luis Ramos failed to appear for a yearly evaluation with the Pennsylvania State Police on January 19. He has not been located since, but his last known address was 654 Hayes St. The Bethlehem Police have obtained a felony arrest warrant for Ramos’ arrest. If anyone has any information about Ramos’ location, they are asked to call Det. Moses Miller at 610-865-7187.

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