Rodger Dale Seilhan, Failure to Update Sex Offender Registration, Louisiana 2014

LAFAYETTE, La. – In a shocking turn of events, Rodger Dale Seilhan, 63, of New Iberia, La., pleaded guilty to failing to update his sex offender registration.

Seilhan, a convicted sex offender, was arrested on March 11, 2014, after the U.S. Marshals Service and other law enforcement agencies located him in New Iberia at a relative’s residence. The discovery came after he failed to report his whereabouts to authorities for two years.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Seilhan was previously arrested on January 21, 1982, by the Travis County Sheriff’s Office in Texas for aggravated sexual assault of a child. He was later sentenced to 15 years in prison.

After being released from prison, Seilhan reportedly updated his residence changes to authorities while he lived in Texas until September 5, 2012. However, he was found to not be living at his last known address in Willis, Texas, after a sex offender verification check was conducted.

Seilhan faces up to 10 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for one count of failure to update sex offender registration. A sentencing date was not set.

The U.S. Marshals Service, Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. McManus is prosecuting the case.

Seilhan’s guilty plea serves as a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining accurate sex offender registries. The public has a right to know where convicted sex offenders reside, and it is the responsibility of those on the registry to update their information in a timely manner.

The Grimy Times will continue to follow this story and provide updates as more information becomes available.

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