A convicted sex offender is facing a felony charge in Pittsburg County after allegedly failing to register with local law enforcement following his release from jail in March.
Chester Louis John Edwards, 30, was charged with failure to register as a sex offender, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. According to an affidavit, Edwards was released from the Pittsburg County Criminal Justice Center on March 10, 2025, and allegedly failed to register within the required three-day period.
Edwards was convicted in Jefferson County, Colorado, in 2014 on two counts of sexual assault, including one involving a child. He was sentenced to six years to life and is classified as a Level 3 aggravated sex offender, which is Oklahoma’s highest risk category, and it requires quarterly verification.
According to the Oklahoma Sex Offender Registration Unit, Edwards is noncompliant and delinquent. Officials say he failed to complete a mandatory in-person verification after signing new registration documents on April 16.
Edwards first registered in Oklahoma in May 2023, setting his quarterly verification schedule to February, May, August, and November. Prosecutors allege he did not report in March or April, violating 57 O.S. § 583.
Edwards is the third to be arrested this month in McAlester for failing to register as a sex offender. He is currently being held over on a $100,000 bond.