U.S. Marshals in Arizona Participate in Operation Adam’s Watch to Recognize 20th Anniversary of Adam Walsh Act

Tucson, AZ – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), working alongside state and local law enforcement agencies across 37 federal judicial districts and geographic areas, concluded a multiweek enforcement operation that resulted in the arrest of more than 330 fugitives wanted for failure to register as sex offenders, sexual assault, and other sex offenses.

Operation Adam’s Watch was conducted in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. Named in honor of Adam Walsh, the operation focused on identifying, locating, and apprehending noncompliant sex offenders while assisting state and local partners with verifying registered offenders’ compliance.

The District of Arizona played a key role in the nationwide operation. Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies worked side by side to locate and apprehend fugitive sex offenders and conduct compliance checks on registered offenders throughout the state.

During the operation, Arizona investigators targeted 186 sex offenders and completed 116 compliance checks. Authorities arrested 12 fugitives wanted for failure to register as sex offenders and 15 fugitives wanted for sexual assault or other sex offenses. Three offenders were federally charged with failure to register as sex offenders in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2250.

“Operation Adam’s Watch demonstrates the extraordinary strength of law enforcement agencies united by a shared mission,” said U.S. Marshal Van Bayless. “Through the commitment and combined resources of our federal, state, and local partners, we are aggressively pursuing offenders who attempt to evade accountability. This work is more than making arrests, it is about protecting children, supporting survivors, and safeguarding the most vulnerable members of our communities. Those who prey upon others or refuse to comply with sex offender registration laws should understand that we will find them, we will hold them accountable, and we will never relent in our duty to protect the public.”

Among those arrested during the operation was Clearance Martin, 57, a convicted sex offender who allegedly failed to comply with registration requirements and was wanted on new charges, including two counts of sexual conduct with a minor, child molestation, and sexual assault.

The Apache Junction Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service led Arizona WANTED Violent Offender Task Force investigated Martin’s whereabouts and determined that he had fled Arizona and returned to Tyler, Texas, where he had family ties. Task force members shared intelligence with USMS in Texas, who tracked Martin to an automotive shop in Tyler and took him into custody without incident.

In a separate investigation, the Arizona WANTED Violent Offender Task Force partnered with the Tucson and Prescott police departments to locate and apprehend John Lincoln Sperry, 65, who was wanted on two counts of sexual conduct with a minor.

Investigators determined that Sperry was living in Prescott and working as a licensed clinical social worker specializing in sex-addiction treatment. Task force members and partner agencies located Sperry in Prescott, arrested him without incident, and booked him into the Yavapai County Jail on the outstanding warrant.

Arizona agencies participating in Operation Adam’s Watch included the Apache Junction Police Department, Buckeye Police Department, Chandler Police Department, Glendale Police Department, Maricopa County Adult Probation Department, Mesa Police Department, Prescott Police Department, Surprise Police Department, Tempe Police Department, Tucson Police Department, Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, and Yuma Police Department.

“The USMS, having a robust network of federal, state, and local partners, was the logical choice to implement the Adam Walsh Act,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces Serralta. “We are the best in the world at finding people. We have the tools and the talent no one else has. When the Adam Walsh Act became law, it made sense for us, along with our partners, to make sure noncompliant sex offenders are back off the streets and not a threat to those who could become victims.”

“As we observe Adam Walsh Remembrance Day and the 20th anniversary of the Adam Walsh Act, I’m reminded that my brother’s legacy isn’t defined by what happened to him, but by the lives that continue to be protected because people refused to let his story end in tragedy,” said Callahan Walsh, executive director of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). “Every time the U.S. Marshals Service apprehends an offender who threatens children, every time NCMEC helps law enforcement recover a missing child or support an investigation, we’re carrying that legacy forward. Together, we’re proving that the strongest tool we have to protect children is partnership.”

Operation Adam’s Watch concluded July 24, 2026. The District of Arizona joined 36 other federal judicial districts and geographic areas spanning Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia in the coordinated nationwide effort.

Adam Walsh’s abduction and murder served as a catalyst for fundamental changes in how the nation addresses crimes against children. The tragedy launched his parents, John and Revé Walsh, on a lifelong mission to protect children and prevent other families from experiencing similar loss. Their advocacy contributed to the establishment of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

The Adam Walsh Act assigned the USMS three principal responsibilities: assisting state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities with locating and apprehending noncompliant and fugitive sex offenders; investigating violations of the federal failure-to-register statute; and assisting with the identification and location of sex offenders displaced by major disasters.

Each year, the USMS conducts more than 200 sex-offender operations in support of state and local compliance and enforcement efforts. Since the Adam Walsh Act became law, the USMS has opened approximately 52,000 investigations into potential federal failure-to-register violations and arrested more than 7,500 fugitives wanted under 18 U.S.C. § 2250.

In addition to enforcing the Adam Walsh Act, the USMS prioritizes sex-offense warrants as part of its broader fugitive-apprehension mission. Since 2006, the Marshals Service and its fugitive task force partners have closed approximately 250,000 felony warrants through the arrests of fugitives wanted for sexual offenses, sexual assault, or failure to register.

The USMS has conducted more than 5,300 sex-offender compliance and enforcement operations in partnership with state and local law enforcement agencies across all 50 states and U.S. territories. Through these operations, the USMS has assisted its partners with more than 842,000 compliance checks involving registered sex offenders.