ROCKINGHAM — A Richmond County man is accused of failing to registering as a sex offender.
James Russell Hash Jr., 38, was arrested June 17 for allegedly “fleeing from law enforcement on several occasions when law enforcement was attempting to make contact at his registered address,” according to an arrest warrant. The offense date is listed as May 21.
According to the N.C. Sex Offender Registry, Hash was convicted in 2000 of taking indecent liberties with a child on July 25, 1999. He was 18 at the time of the incident, however, the victim’s age is not listed.
The registry also has Hash’s registered address on Maner Road misspelled as “Manor Road.”
Hash registered as a sex offender on Jan. 20, 2000 — the same day as his conviction — and his last address was verified on Jan. 28 of this year.
The registry lists that no violations have been reported, however, records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction show Hash was convicted Oct. 25 of last year in Anson County on a sex offender residence violation and was given probation.
Records show Hash was booked into the Richmond County Jail on May 22 and also faces charges of failing to appear on both a felony and a misdemeanor charge.
He is being held on a $25,000 secured bond on the registration charge, a $21,030.35 cash bond on the misdemeanor FTA, and no bond on the felony FTA.
No other pending charges are listed on the N.C. Court System website.
Jail records show Hash was scheduled to appear in court on the felony FTA on June 3, and has court dates of June 27 on the registration charge and Aug. 6 on the misdemeanor FTA.
State records show Hash has been convicted of multiple other crimes and infractions in the past 22 years.
His first conviction was in 1997 for driving with a revoked license in Brunswick County.
The following year, he was convicted on two counts of breaking and entering motor vehicles in Richmond County.
Hash’s probation for the vehicle break-ins and the sex offense was revoked in late 2000 and he spent just more than a year behind bars.
In 2010, Hash was convicted of second-degree burglary and breaking and entering, landing him back in prison for two years.
Hash was again convicted in 2015 of being a habitual felon and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and was incarcerated for 22 months.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
