SHERIFF NEWS RELEASE – Joint Investigation Leads to Arrest of Bangor Township Man

Joint Investigation Leads to Arrest of Bangor Township Man for Sex Offender Registry Violation and Extradition to Ohio
 
Last month, detectives from our Westside Detachment Unit began a joint investigation with the Defiance, Ohio Police Department involving a 38-year-old Bangor Township man. 

The investigation revealed that the suspect had used a social media application to engage in inappropriate communication and share explicit material with an individual he believed to be a 12-year-old boy.

During the course of the investigation, it was also discovered that the suspect was in violation of Sex Offender Registration (SOR) requirements, specifically related to his registered address.

These findings were forwarded to the Van Buren County Prosecutor’s Office, which issued a felony arrest warrant for the SOR violation. 

Based on this warrant and additional evidence developed during the joint investigation, officers obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s residence.

On October 8, 2025, the arrest and search warrants were executed at a residence in the 36000 block of 66th Street in Bangor Township during which time several electronic and communication devices were seized.

The suspect was taken into custody without incident on the outstanding felony warrant and is currently being held pending extradition to Ohio on related charges stemming from their investigation.