The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is advising the public that Walter J. Ponds, DOB 04/01/85, has registered as a Sexual Offender living in Sarasota County.

 

Ponds was convicted in 2011 in Sarasota County of Lewd or Lascivious Battery on a Victim Under 15 Years Old and sentenced to 11 years in prison. He was just released and registered as a transient living in the 2100 block of 51^st Street in Sarasota. The registration of a “location” and not a physical address is allowable by Florida law for homeless or transient persons, but a transient offender or predator must register their address with the sheriff’s office every 30 days. Ponds is currently under the supervision of the Florida Department of Corrections and is not allowed to live within 1,000 feet of a school, childcare facility, park or playground.

 

This information is posted on the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office website, agency Facebook and Twitter accounts, to publicly notify citizens of sexual offenders and predators who register a Sarasota County address for the first time, when moving into the county or following release from prison. Citizens should still sign up to receive notifications from FDLE of sex offenders and predator registrations.