Find Sex Offenders in Henry County
Henry County sex offenders are required to register with the Henry County Sheriff's Office in New Castle, which feeds their information into Indiana's statewide OffenderWatch database. The registry is open to the public at no cost and lets you search by name, address, or zip code. Indiana's Zachary's Law sets out who must register, how often they must verify their information, and what happens when they fail to comply. This page covers how to access the registry, what the law says, and what Henry County residents need to know about offender registration in their area.
Henry County Sex Offender Registry
Accessing the Henry County Sex Offender Registry
The public registry for Henry County is available through iCrimeWatch, the online portal for Indiana's OffenderWatch system. You can search by name, address, or zip code. Each result includes the offender's photo, current registered address, offense history, and current status. Searches are free. You do not need an account to look someone up.
The Indiana Department of Correction's sex offender registry is another way to search the same data. Some users find that site easier for looking up specific offender details, especially when they want to see full conviction histories. Both portals pull from the same statewide database managed by the OffenderWatch system.
The National Sex Offender Public Website lets you run a search across all states at once. This is worth checking if you want to know whether someone has a record from another state before they moved to Henry County. The national site is free and open to anyone.
Note: Registry information is updated as Henry County Sheriff staff process new registrations and address changes, so results reflect the most recent data on file at the time of your search.
Henry County Sheriff's Office
The Henry County Sheriff's Office is the agency responsible for sex offender registration in the county. Sheriff John Sproles leads the department, which is located at 127 N 12th Street, New Castle, IN 47362. The main office line is 765-521-7032. The dispatch line, which is staffed around the clock, is 765-521-7041.
The Henry County Sheriff works closely with the Henry County Probation Department to keep tabs on offenders who are under court supervision. Both offices use the OffenderWatch system to track registration status and flag violations. If an offender misses a check-in or moves without reporting, the probation department and sheriff may both be involved in the follow-up.
You can also follow the Henry County Sheriff on Facebook for updates on law enforcement activity in the county, including any community notifications related to sex offenders. The sheriff's office uses social media to push out information quickly when there is something the public needs to know.
The Henry County Sheriff's Office in New Castle processes all local sex offender registrations and submits updates to the statewide Indiana registry.
Indiana Registration Law and Henry County
Indiana's sex offender registration rules come from IC 11-8-8, commonly known as Zachary's Law. The law is named for Zachary Snider, a boy from Cloverdale who was killed by a registered sex offender. It took effect on January 1, 2003, and created the framework still in use across all 92 Indiana counties.
IC 11-8-8-4.5 lists the offenses that require registration. The list includes rape, sexual misconduct with a minor, child solicitation, and several other crimes. Convictions from other states and federal convictions can also trigger a registration obligation in Indiana. If someone convicted of a sex offense moves to Henry County from out of state, they must register here regardless of where the crime occurred.
The 72-hour registration deadline is set by IC 11-8-8-7. This window opens the moment an offender is released from custody, arrives in Indiana, or changes their home address. Offenders must also register work and school addresses. Missing the 72-hour mark is a criminal violation, not just an administrative one.
Verification and Registration Timelines
Most sex offenders must verify their registration once a year. This means going to the Henry County Sheriff's Office in person to confirm their current address, employment, and any other required details. Sexually violent predators must do this every 90 days instead of annually. These check-ins are mandatory, and missing one is treated as a registration violation.
How long an offender stays on the registry depends on the nature of their offense. The standard period is 10 years from the date of release or completion of supervision. Offenders who are classified as sexually violent predators, or who were convicted of crimes against children under 12, must register for life. The Henry County Sheriff cannot shorten this period.
Penalties for failure to register are laid out in IC 11-8-8-17. A first offense is a Level 6 felony, which carries a maximum of two and a half years in prison and a $10,000 fine. A second offense is a Level 5 felony with a longer potential sentence. Henry County prosecutors treat these cases as serious crimes.
Where Offenders Can and Cannot Live
Sex offenders in Henry County are subject to residency restrictions set by state law. Under IC 35-42-4-11, no registered offender may live within 1,000 feet of a school, public park, or youth program center. They must also keep a distance of at least one mile from the home of any victim. These rules apply in New Castle and throughout the rural areas of Henry County.
When an offender moves to a new address, they need to confirm the address does not violate these restrictions. The sheriff's office can help answer questions about specific locations, but the offender is responsible for making sure they are in compliance. Living at a prohibited address, even briefly, is a criminal act under Indiana law.
Homeless offenders in Henry County must register every seven days with the sheriff. They cannot simply list an intersection or a shelter and stop checking in. The duty to verify every week continues until they obtain a fixed address. This more frequent check-in schedule is one of several rules that apply specifically to homeless registrants under Indiana law.
Note: Visit the Indiana Sheriffs' Association site to find contact information for the Henry County Sheriff's Office if you need to speak with someone directly about a registration or compliance question.