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Sheriff's Spot Check Finds Parole Violations

POSTED: Friday, February 19, 2010
UPDATED: 7:09 pm EST February 19, 2010

DETROIT -- The Wayne County Sheriff's Department said two convicted sex offenders were caught in the act of violating their parole by being in bed with an underage girl.

The discovery was made as officers conducted a spot check of sex offenders in the Osborn Project area on Detroit's east side.

When members of that unit conducted a spot check this week on several offenders, they arrested 26-year-old Jesse James Smith and 42-year-old Gary Smith.

As Gary Smith answered the door, deputies said they saw a naked 16-year-old girl running out of the bathroom and Jesse Smith quickly followed her.

Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon said the girl was picked up by the two men after another man she traveled from Ohio to meet had abandoned her.

"I really don't want to think what could have possibly happened to her if we had not been making these spot checks and finding out that she was there. So I literally believed we saved this young girl's life," Napoleon said.

The Osborn area on Detroit's east side is the focus of sex offender patrols.

It covers nine square miles and includes 11 schools within that space.

A five-person policing unit focuses on the area because authorities said it has the highest concentration of both children and convicted sex offenders in the state of Michigan.

Sgt. Dan Connell is a member is that unit and he talked about why so many sex offenders are there.

"For whatever reason, family members are here in the area and they are coming back into the community," Connell said.

Jesse James Smith and Gary Smith are facing charges of violating their parole and officers are investigating for possible drugs and firearm charges.


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