Asymo L. Prentice, 31, of St. Croix, was arraigned in the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands for failure to comply with registration requirements. Prentice also has an outstanding warrant from Fulton County, Georgia, for violating probation based on his conviction of child molestation in 2008, Attorney General Ariel Smith announced Tuesday.
Prentice, a registered sex offender, was apprehended by V.I. Dept. of Justice Special Agents and Sex Offender Registry Notification Act Unit on Sept. 11 at the DOJ Office of the Attorney General, St. Croix, according to the press release.
Prentice pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Sept. 18. During his advice of rights hearing held on Sept. 13, Magistrate Judge Ernest Morris set bail conditions to include posting of a fully secured bond of $5,500 and 24-hour house arrest with the use of an electronic monitor, a third-party custodian approved by the people of the Virgin Islands, report to probation once a week, no unlawful contact, direct or indirect with any victims or witnesses in this case and must not violate any laws of the Virgin Islands, the press release stated.
Prentice remains incarcerated until he finds a suitable third-party custodian and pays the full bail amount. Prentice will be extradited to Atlanta to fulfill his obligations for his probation conditions once the U.S. Virgin Islands receives a governor’s warrant from Georgia. During the advice of rights hearing, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office requested his extradition and Prentice declined to sign the waiver of extradition, the release stated.
Prentice was sentenced to serve 15 years in Atlanta, Georgia after he was convicted of child molestation charges in 2008. However, he was released on parole for good behavior after serving eight years. After Prentice’s release, he returned to the Virgin Islands and registered as a Tier 2 sex offender. He was, therefore, required to register every six months for 25 years, according to the release.
