CHARLES MOORE

A fugitive from Highlands, Florida, learned this weekend that the long arm of the law stretches far, and this time, the proverbial outreach ended in Metter, Georgia.

Candler County Sheriff John Miles reports that Sunday afternoon Charles Moore was taken into custody near the Dollar General on South Leroy Street. He was being sought as an absconded sex offender by authorities in Sebring, Florida.

Sheriff Miles said Moore’s apprehension was successful due to a multi-team effort of local law enforcement including the Candler County Sheriff’s Office, Metter Police Department, Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office and its K9 Layka, Candler County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Thunder, and the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force. Further assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service, and Federal Bureau of Investigations offices in Miami and Atlanta.

Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman said Moore was the last sex offender wanted in a roundup that occurred on Halloween. Officers said they knew he had violated the terms of his required sex offender registration and had taken off to an unknown destination. The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Victims Unit worked with agencies including those locally to track the fugitive down and take him into custody.

The Candler County Sheriff’s Office has helped in numerous apprehensions of wanted offenders who want to find solace in the small town from outside the county lines, Sheriff Miles has  issued a warned to those who think the area is a good place to hide that law  enforcement in Candler County and the citizens of the county are vigilant and deputies won’t stop until arrests are made.