Butler County deputies are asking for the public’s help tracking down 52-year-old Jerry Stout, who is wanted on a failure-to-register warrant, officials say. The sheriff’s office named Stout in its weekly “Warrant Wednesday” bulletin and warned residents not to approach him. Deputies said Stout has prior convictions tied to sexually oriented offenses and could be dangerous.
In a Facebook post, the Butler County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect as Jerry Stout, born March 7, 1974, and listed his height at about 5-foot-8 and weight near 155 pounds. According to Butler County Sheriff's Office, Stout has brown hair and blue eyes and faces a warrant for failure to register; the post says his original convictions include disseminating matter harmful to juveniles and gross sexual imposition. The bulletin also gave the last-known Middletown location and urged anyone with information to contact the Warrants Division immediately.
Commercial registry OffenderRadar lists a Jerry Lee Stout with the same birthdate and underlying offenses and shows a Middletown address on file. Those third-party profiles draw from state records but can lag official updates, so investigators say the sheriff’s bulletin is the authoritative source for current warrants. Anyone who believes they have seen Stout should not try to confront him, deputies emphasize.
How to report tips
Deputies say members of the public should not try to detain Stout and should call 9-1-1 if they see him. The sheriff’s post asks that tips be directed to Warrants Deputy Stewart at 513-785-1278 or to the county's non-emergency dispatch at 513-785-1300; anonymous tips can also be submitted by texting the keyword COPS to 274637, according to Butler County Sheriff's Office. The department's contact page lists the county's main information line at 513-785-1000 for additional inquiries, according to Butler County Sheriff's Office.
Legal consequences
Failure to register as a sex offender is a felony under Ohio law and is governed by Chapter 2950 of the Ohio Revised Code. Penalties vary by offender tier and the underlying offenses, and federal statutes may also apply in interstate cases. For the statutory framework and penalties, see Ohio Revised Code Chapter 2950.
Warrant Wednesday and local policing
The bulletin is part of Butler County’s weekly “Warrant Wednesday” social-media push, an effort local outlets have noted is meant to accelerate tips by sharing photos and contact lines. Coverage of the program has shown it highlights a rotating slate of wanted individuals and directs residents to the sheriff’s tip lines, according to a recent deep dive on the program.
