SEX OFFENDER ARRESTED

One week ago Lorain Police Department issued a HIGH LEVEL LISA ALERT after a 16 year old female reported that a man in the 4100 block of Riverside Drive attempted to pull her into a car. The man who was driving a black sedan attempted to pull the girl into the car through the passenger side window, the girl was able to break free after striking the man several times. The Lorain Police Detective Bureau created a composite drawing based on the description provided by the victim and released it on the LISA ALERT system. Less than a week later after an intense investigation Lorain Police arrested and charged Lorain resident Christopher Hartley, a registered Sex Offender, for the attempted abduction. Hartley, 37, lives at 4600 Riverside Drive, just blocks from where the incident took place. The arrest was made after the Police looked at other sex offenders in the area as well as talking to the victim again and getting a positive identification of the suspect from the victim. Hartley is listed as a registered sex offender on the Lorain County Sheriff’s Department eSorn web site. Hartley was indicted in March of 1996 for Corruption of a Minor, Sexual Imposition and Disseminating Matter Harmful to Juveniles, charges he plead guilty to in October of 1996. Hartley was sentenced to a little over 3 years in Lorain Correctional Institution and was labeled as a Sex Offender. The State attempted to get Hartley listed as a Sexual Predator but the Court found that the State had “failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant is a Sexual Predator”.

Searching within a one mile area of where the incident took place we found 12 registered Sex Offenders, 1 Habitual Sex Offender and 1 Sexual Predator. To conduct your own search of your neighborhood visit the Lorain County Sheriff's Department web site.