ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke County Public Schools’ new security system helped U.S. Marshals arrest a fugitive sex offender wanted on a federal assault charge.
Michael Anthony, 35, arrived at one of the district’s middle schools on April 1 to pick up his girlfriend’s son, where he was required to check in through the schools Lobby Guard security management system, Roanoke Times reports.
Established in August 2013, the system mandates all visitors to swipe their ID cards, which the system then checks against the national sex offender registry. Anthony’s card immediately alerted the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Sex Offender database and confirmed that he was a convicted sex offender.
Anthony was denied access to the school, and was later arrested by the Virginia State Police Sex Offender Investigative Unit.
Upon further investigation, authorities discovered Anthony failed to register as a convicted sex offender after establishing residency in Virginia. Additionally, the man was wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service on a federal warrant for an assault charge.
