Level 4 sex offender moves to Greene County

GREENE COUNTY, Ark. (KAIT) - A Greene County sheriff’s deputy went door-to-door Tuesday morning, alerting Lafe residents of a Level 4 sex offender moving to their community.

Richard Thomis Yeazel, 40, was convicted in 2002 of raping a 9-year-old boy he knew from church.

Sheriff Brad Snyder said in a news release that Yeazel has established residence in the 18,000 block of Highway 141 North.

“It should be noted that at this time, the offender is not wanted by law enforcement and is in compliance with the sex offender registry,” Snyder said.

Snyder added that Deputy Shane Martin, sex offender coordinator for the sheriff’s office, would be “doing face-to-face notifications” with all residents living in the vicinity.

According to the Arkansas Department of Safety, a Level 4 sex offender is considered a “sexually dangerous person” who “has a habitual or serious pattern of offending and is deemed a sexually violent predator.”

Snyder stressed that notice of Yeazel’s move was not intended to increase fear.

“It is our belief that an informed public will be safer,” he said. “Citizen abuse of this information to threaten, intimidate, or harass offenders will not be tolerated.”