Nicholas Brent Gibson - Failure to Register

A Tyrone family contacted police on December 25 because they were suspicious of a man who arrived in Tyrone on a bus with a 15-year-old girl. The man and the juvenile female were staying at the family’s Washington Avenue residence.

Nicholas Brent Gibson, 21, was placed in Blair County Prison Wednesday night in lieu of $100,000 cash bail, after he was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Fred B. Miller around 5 p.m.

On Christmas day, the suspicious family contacted Tyrone police about Gibson, who, according to a court affidavit, “tagged along” with the juvenile about a week ago from the Chicago area. The juvenile was planning on moving back to Tyrone and residing with the family.

The family allowed Gibson to stay with them, but soon became suspicious of Gibson when “they started to catch him in lies,” as stated in the affidavit.

Tyrone police officer Greg Ray ran a check on Gibson and received two hits, one from Illinois and one from Arizona. The hits came back informing police that Gibson was a sexual offender and a sexually violent offender.

Officer Ray attempted to contact sex offender units in both states, but attempts were unsuccessful due to the holiday.

On Wednesday, December 26, Ray was able to contact both Illinois and Arizona Sex Offender Units. Illinois confirmed that the sex offense Gibson committed actually occurred in Illinois and he was required to register for life under Megan’s Law. The Illinois unit indicated when Gibson was released from prison for his previous crime, he was released to an address in Tucson, AZ, that now has jurisdiction.

Ray then contacted the sex offender unit in Pima County, AZ and the unit confirmed that Gibson was a sexual offender and was required to register, and that Pima County was not aware he left Arizona.

A picture of Gibson was emailed to Tyrone PD and a resident of the home by which Gibson was staying positively identified Gibson from the picture. Officer Ray again contacted the Pima County Sex Offender Unit, which confirmed that Gibson was required to register under Megan’s Law.

After police contacted the Pennsylvania State Police Megan’s Law Section and found that Gibson did not register in PA, police then contacted the Blair County District Attorney’s Office and was advised to charge Gibson under Pennsylvania Law for failing to register.

Gibson was arraigned late Wednesday afternoon for failing to comply with registration of sexual offenders’ requirements, a third-degree felony.

His preliminary hearing is set for January 8, 2008 at 9 a.m. at Magisterial District Judge Fred B. Miller’s office in Tyrone.