The Tempe Police Department is taking extra precautions to notify ASU students and Tempe residents that a convicted Level 3 sex offender has been roaming the area.
Police officials will discuss the criminal history of the offender, Eddie Ray Thompson, during a meeting 2 to 3 p.m. today at the Tempe Police Station auditorium, at 120 E. Fifth St..
The meeting will also give safety information on how people can protect themselves by walking more assertively and staying aware of their surroundings, said Laura Somershoe of the Tempe Police Sex Offender Notification and Tracking Unit.
Thompson, who has a history of sexual assault and molestation, was arrested and booked by ASU police last weekend for trespassing on campus and loitering. He was later released.
Tempe police also arrested Thompson five times throughout the last month for offenses such as eluding police officers and trespassing on Mill Avenue after being asked to leave for harassing people in the area, Somershoe said.
“Thompson is very aggressive and persistent toward women,” Somershoe said.
ASU police are hoping the meeting will let the public know that Thompson is still in the area, said ASU police Lt. David Zimpfer.
“We believe, just as Tempe does, that this requires more than just notification,” he said.
Zimpfer said that Thompson is the first Level 3 sex offender he has seen on campus in a while.
Reach Jennifer Voges at jennyvoges@hotmail.com.
