Craven County Sex Offender Arrested for Registration Violations

On May 21, 2026, Jamal Jakes Barnes was arrested for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements under North Carolina State Law.

The investigation began on May 19, 2026, after the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office General Investigations Division received information from the Craven County Sheriff’s Office that Barnes had been residing in Lenoir County in violation of the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry.

Detectives with the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation and determined that Barnes had been living in Lenoir County since May 5, 2026, without reporting in person to the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office to update his registered address as required by law. As a result, Barnes was charged accordingly.

Barnes was charged with the following offense:

One Count (F) Fail to Report in Person – Sex Offender

The warrant for Barnes was served by the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, as he was already in custody on related sex offender violations out of Craven County. Barnes was issued a $50,000 secured bond.