Police in Racine County, Washington, have arrested a sex offender and his girlfriend after they were caught filming children at a local school.
The Racine County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes against Children (ICAC) began investigating a complaint on March 7, according to a press release.
The sheriff’s office indicated that the complaint was related to “a violation by a registered sex offender.”
Paul Shelton, 43, was “observed filming children at a nearby grade school.”
The authorities found out that Shelton had not obtained permission to be present on the campus. His actions constituted a violation of his sex offender status. He was also determined to be in violation of his bond.
The authorities searched Shelton’s home on March 13 and took the suspect into custody. His girlfriend, Dana R. Kozeluh, 43, was also arrested for “Bail Jumping.”
Shelton and Kozeluh had both been convicted of child neglect and truancy. The male suspect now faces charges of failing to update his sex offender information, photographing a minor without consent, failing to notify the school of his sex offender status, and three counts of misdemeanor bail jumping, according to WISN.
The individual who reported the original complaint told the authorities about Shelton’s alleged activities.
According to the criminal complaint, The Racine County Sheriff’s Office responded to Gilmore Fine Arts School to follow up on a cyber tip.
The complainant reported that Shelton would pick up his daughter with her little sister and record them with his cell phone, tickling each other. The week of February 21, he tried get other kids to play with his girls and record them as well.
Another complainant reported another incident on March 7 on school property where Shelton allegedly approached other children and tried to coax them into hugging each other and a tree while filming. Parents intervened and removed their children from the situation.
Shelton was convicted of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse back in 2005 in Illinois.
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Parents of students at the school were alarmed by the development. One said it was “Very shocking because I didn’t know about it.”
Another said she would be watching her children as they walk to and from school. She said her daughter is “not going to walk to school by herself or even home also by herself so she will be picked up at all times.”
Shelton admitted to investigators that he routinely picked up his kids at school daily. He also admitted to filming them. But he also claimed he was never told he could not go onto the campus without permission.
The Racine Unified School District released a statement acknowledging that “a parent brought a concern about two adults approaching children who were playing outside the school building after dismissal.”
“District safety staff notified law enforcement who investigated and handled the situation,” the statement read.
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