By By Kerry Whipple Bean – publisher
A convicted sex offender's attempt at a trip to Mexico could land him in jail for life.
Larry Richard Chavers, 35, of McCall, was served with an indictment charging him with bail jumping and failing to file required forms giving notice as a sex offender of intent to transfer residence, Attorney General Troy King said Monday. The charges stem from allegations that Chavers attempted to flee the country for Mexico after he failed to show up at his Nov. 9 sentencing hearing.
The new charges are both Class C felonies, which are punishable by a year and one day to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.
But, according to the attorney general's office, Chavers is eligible to be punished as a habitual offender because he has already been convicted of two felonies. That increases the range of punishment for each offense to a class A felony - punishable by life or not more than 99 years in prison or less than 10 years in prison and a fine of more than $60,000.
On Nov. 1, 2006, Chavers was found guilty by an Escambia County jury of first-degree sodomy and first-degree sexual abuse of an 8-year-old girl.
During the trial, the girl identified Chavers as the man who assaulted her and told the jury about at least 15 instances in which he fondled her or tried to have sex with her.