Grand jury to hear case involving sexual predator

The case will go before a grand jury.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Criminal charges stating that a sexual predator did not properly register his address with authorities will be headed to a grand jury.
Charles Gorham, 37, had a preliminary hearing Thursday before Judge Thomas P. Gysegem of Warren Municipal Court on a charge of failure to register, filed by the Trumbull County Sheriff's Department.
Gorham, who was convicted in 2001 in Alabama of taking indecent liberties with a minor, is required to make his whereabouts known to the sheriff's department, which then notifies local schools.
Gorham had informed officials of his move to his sister's home at 700 McDonald Ave., McDonald, on two previous occasions. The house is less than 1,000 feet from a school. Anyone designated by a court as a sexual predator cannot live within 1,000 feet of a school.
The first time Gorham registered the address, he moved before court action could be taken against him. The second time, the sheriff's department filed court action, leading to a judge's order barring him from the sister's house.
According to police officials and court testimony by the sister, Phyllis Gorham, officers serving notice of the court order to Gorham March 31 were told he no longer lived at the address.
Traci Timko-Rose, assistant prosecutor, said the fact that Gorham had left the McDonald home without notification is the problem.
"The problem is that we show up on [March 31] and his sister says he doesn't live there. The law is that he must tell us 20 days before he moves."
Police converged on the house April 3 and arrested Gorham. Police say he moved out of the house without giving proper notice of his whereabouts to authorities.
Phyllis Gorham, who said she has faced community harassment and lost a job because of the publicity around her brother's living in her home, told the court she did not know Gorham was in the house when police arrived to arrest him. She said she assumed he had moved because his girlfriend told her he was moving to Youngstown.
Timko-Rose said Gorham's girlfriend testified that he could not report his new address because he was living out of his car after leaving his sister's home. Timko-Rose said Gorham could live out of his car, but would be required to report his address to authorities daily.
Gorham remains in jail in lieu of $25,000 bond.
jgoodwin@vindy.com