Deputies arrested Barry Lynn Boyd, 36, of 630 St. Matthews Church Road, Lot No. 13, and charged him with felony failure to notify change of address.

Boyd called the Rowan County Sheriff’s Department and told them he would come by to fill out the required form three weeks ago, said Sgt. John Knight of the Rowan County Sheriff’s Department. But he failed to show up.

Boyd was convicted once before for failing to register as a sex offender in 1997, according to the state sexual offender registry.

North Carolina Department of Corrections records show Boyd was first convicted in 1995 for attempted second-degree sexual offense.

One of Knight’s jobs at the sheriff’s department is to keep track of the roughly 110 registered sex offenders in Rowan County.

More and more, registered sex offenders aren’t following the law , Knight said. He has three pending arrests on his desk. All are offenders who have not registered.

“Boyd is just one of many,”Knight said. “They give many reasons for not obeying the law. Boyd was trying to get away from warrant service for non-support.”

Each year on the conviction date of every sexual offender in North Carolina, the attorney general’s office sends mailings to the offender’s listed address, Knight said. If the letter is sent back to the post office three times, it goes to Knight. He then looks into the case.

“Pretty soon, this is going to be a full-time job,”Knight said.

The North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry was established in January, 1996.

This law requires convicted sexual offenders have to register within 10 days after moving or being released from prison.

They must also register upon conviction for a reportable offense where no prison time was given.

The punishment for violating those laws has become stronger.

When Boyd was first convicted for failure to register as a sex offender, the crime was a misdemeanor. Now the same offense carries a standard felony charge.

Boyd remains in Rowan County Detention Center under a $30,000 secured bond.