Ivan J. Chinnery, 63, a registered sex offender, was arrested by the V.I. Justice Department Special Agents and the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act unit on St. Thomas. Chinnery was arrested for failure to comply with registration requirements for sex offenders in the Virgin Islands, V.I. Attorney General Ariel Smith has announced.
Chinnery, who is homeless, is a registered offender who failed to appear in person for registration at the Leander Jurgen Command Police Station on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. He has no fixed address and is therefore required to register weekly as required by law. VIDOJ agents arrested Chinnery on Feb. 1 at Leander Jurgen Command Police Station in Cruz Bay without incident, according to the press release.
Chinnery appeared for his Advice of Rights hearing in V.I. Superior Court on February 2nd before Honorable Magistrate Judge Paula D. Norkaitis. Judge Norkaitis found probable cause to charge Chinnery with failure to register as a sex offender V.I.C. § 1722 and he was released on $10,000 unsecured bond. Judge Norkaitis ordered that Chinnery must not leave the islands of St. Thomas, St. John or Water Island without the court’s written permission. Judge Norkaitis also stated that Chinnery must report to the Office of Probation at the Leander Jurgen Command once per week and he must also register as a sex offender every week on Wednesdays at the Leander Jurgen Command Police Station, the release stated.
Chinnery was convicted in V.I. Superior Court in February 2012 for the crime of unlawful sexual contact first-degree. Pursuant to Chapter 86, Section 1724(d) of Title 14 of the V.I. Code, Chinnery is required to appear once every week at the Virgin Islands Justice Department to keep his registration current until he declares a permanent residence. He is registered as a Tier 3 sex offender and, therefore, is required to appear once every 90 days from his initial registration date throughout his lifetime, it stated.
