The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Spokane Valley Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service Conduct 87 Sex Offender Compliance Checks Recognizing the 20th Anniversary of the Adam Walsh Act

Spokane, WA - Between July 27 and July 31, 2026, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Spokane Valley Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF) conducted more than 87 sex offender compliance checks throughout Spokane Valley and Spokane County in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.

The coordinated five-day operation focused on verifying convicted sex offenders were complying with their registration requirements, confirming reported residential addresses, employment and identifying offenders who are out of compliance. During the operation, investigators identified over 10 sex offenders believed to be out of compliance with registration requirements. Those offenders will be jointly investigated further, and federal or state arrest warrants will be sought when appropriately charged with state or federal law violation(s). Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Michael Leigh commends the proactive collaboration between to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and the Spokane Valley Police Department to ensure we keep our communities safe. Chief Deputy Leigh stated, “the public has a right to know if convicted sex offenders are living in their neighborhood, and more importantly, we have to protect our most vulnerable population.”

Since the enactment of the Adam Walsh Act in 2006, the U.S. Marshals Service Eastern District of Washington has opened more than 580 federal non-compliant sex offender investigations. Those investigations have resulted in more than 138 cases presented to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for federal prosecution; resulting in and more than 95 federal convictions pertaining to violations of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act was signed into law on July 27, 2006. The law is named after 6-year-old Adam Walsh, who was abducted from a Florida mall in 1981 and later murdered. His abduction and murder became a catalyst for significant changes in how the nation responds to crimes against children. Adam’s father, John Walsh, became a national advocate for child safety and victims’ rights. His efforts led to the establishment of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the creation of the television program America’s Most Wanted.

The Adam Walsh Act also established national standards through the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, strengthening the nation’s ability to register and track convicted sex offenders while improving information sharing among law enforcement agencies.

The U.S. Marshals Service serves as the lead federal agency for investigating federal sex offender registration violations of the Adam Walsh Act; collaborates with state, local, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies to locate and apprehend noncompliant and fugitive sex offenders, and assists in identifying and locating sex offenders after major disasters.

Since the law was passed, the U.S. Marshals Service has conducted thousands of sex offender compliance and enforcement operations with law enforcement partners across the country. These operations have resulted in the arrests of thousands of individuals wanted for registration violations and related offenses.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Spokane Valley Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force remain committed to working together to identify noncompliant offenders, enforce registration requirements, and reduce the risk to the community by offenders who fail to comply with the law.

The Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force is a U.S. Marshals-led partnership comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. The task force’s primary mission is to locate, arrest and return to the justice system the most violent and egregious federal and state fugitives.