PHOENIX — A man convicted of sexually abusing a girl is a registered sex offender, but the public doesn’t know about it. He served 10 years in prison and is not on the statewide sex offender registry.
Timothy King was found guilty on two counts of Child Sexual Abuse and Child Sexual Abuse. He was evaluated for release from prison and was considered a Level 1 sex offender.
The rating form used to classify King as Level 1 is used statewide and looks at 19 different factors to determine a sex offender’s likelihood of harming another person.
The higher the overall score, the higher the level.
One of the most prominent factors considered is the gender of the victim. If the victim is a girl, the sex offender gets her 0 points added to her score. But if the victim is a boy, the sex offender gets her 3 points.
If the victim is both male and female, 5 points are added.
King’s final rating was not provided to 12News, but his victim was a girl, giving him a lower risk assessment score than if he abused a boy.
The evaluation form has been in effect in Arizona since at least 2002.
Victim’s mother demands change
It’s always a pain for Dawn King to speak.
“It’s under my roof,” Dawn King said. “It breaks people, it breaks souls.”
In 2009, Dawn learned that her daughter had been sexually abused by her then-husband Timothy King.
“When your baby comes to you and says someone you care about or someone you’ve trusted all along is hurting me.
Timothy King agreed to a plea bargain and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, life probation, and had to register as a sex offender upon release.
“Compulsory sex offender conditions so other mothers don’t have to see him and worry about their child being abused.
King is now out of prison and living in Navajo County, but when Dawn searched Arizona Sex Offender Registryhe was nowhere to be found.
“How did this happen?” Dawn said.
Although King is registered as a sex offender, he is classified as a Level 1 and a DPS spokesman said he would not be required to register in the public database.
“The Attorney General’s investigation determined that he did not meet the criteria for publication on the website,” DPS spokesman Raul Garcia said.
12News asked Navajo County Sheriff’s officials how King got his Level 1 status. A publicist directed us to her DPS. DPS introduced her 12News to the Attorney General’s Office.
“While we will provide advice as to whether the underlying conviction meets statutory requirements, it is ultimately up to the DPS to make that determination,” a spokesperson for the attorney general said.
12News then confirmed with the Arizona Department of Corrections.
“This inmate’s sex offender level was determined by the Maricopa County Probation Office in accordance with the DPS and Sex Offender Registration Act. We encourage you to contact them.” Spokesperson for the Department of Corrections.
After switching to yet another agency, 12News switched to Maricopa County Probation.
“The person you inquired about lives in Navajo County,” said Timothy Tate, communications director for the Maricopa County, Arizona, Justice Branch. establish a classification for and complete any required notices under state law.”
Finally, 12News returned to Navajo County, where a Sheriff’s spokesperson said they used an evaluation form to classify King as a Level 1 sex offender.
“It doesn’t make sense to me as a parent or as a woman. I don’t want to worry about running into someone like him when I’m walking outside,” Dawn said.
Timothy King, who now works as a truck driver, applied to change his probation to travel out of state without checking with his probation officer.
In a court filing, his attorney wrote:
King’s request was denied.
Dawn said she was relieved but worried he would apply again. She said she wouldn’t stop fighting until she got an answer.
“We need to hold the Arizona Department of Probation in Maricopa County accountable,” Dawn said.
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