Williamsburg sex offender facing second registration violation

William Bryant is charged with failing to register as a sex offender for the second time.

A Williamsburg sex offender is behind bars after being arrested Friday for second-offense failure to comply with sex offender registration.

According to court documents, Whitley County Sheriff’s Sgt. Todd Shelley obtained the arrest warrant against William E. Lee Bryant, 43, of Lynn Drive, Williamsburg on Nov. 15, and arrested Bryant at 10:27 a.m. Friday at the probation and parole office in Williamsburg.

According to the arrest warrant, Bryant listed his address with the Kentucky State Police Sex Offender Registry as 4557 Tackett Creek Road, but he hadn’t lived there for three to four months.

Bryant pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Monday afternoon before Whitley District Judge Fred White, who set a $15,000 cash bond. If Bryant is released from custody, he will have to wear an ankle-monitoring device as part of his bond conditions.

White appointed the public advocate’s office to represent Bryant, and scheduled a Nov. 28 preliminary hearing in his case.

Bryant is currently on supervised release, must register for life as a sex offender, and his status on the sex offender registry is listed as compliant.

Bryant’s offense requiring registration is a first-degree rape charge in Whitley County involving a seven-year-old victim, according to the sex offender registry.