Hillsboro man sentenced for failure to register change of address

A Hillsboro man was sentenced recently to a year and a half in prison after pleading guilty to failure to register a change of address as a registered sex offender.

As previously reported, Pearlee Newcomb, 37, was indicted by a Highland County grand jury on the third-degree felony charge in November.

According to the indictment, Newcomb was previously convicted of gross sexual imposition (Adams County) as well as failure to register a change of address (in Highland County). He is classified as a tier I sex offender, requiring registration for 15 years.

The indictment alleged that “beginning on or about Sept. 11 and continuing thereafter,” Newcomb “failed to provide notice of his address within 20 days.” A bill of particulars alleges that upon being served by sheriff’s deputies in October, Newcomb “advised he did not register because he was avoiding the probation department.”

As noted by his defense attorney Danielle Whitt, Newcomb pleaded guilty to the charge during his first pretrial, held two weeks after his indictment, on Nov. 20.

Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss followed the recommended sentence of 18 months as outlined in the plea agreement. Newcomb had 44 days of jail time credit.

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