ARLINGTON A registered sex offender is living in Arlington and the Snohomish County Sheriffs Office will be mailing notifications to the community, but they do not currently plan to meet with the community to answer questions about him.
Matthew Nicholas McGowan is not wanted by the police at this time, but he was convicted in 2007 in Snohomish County of rape of a child in the first degree. He is a level two sex offender who has served the sentences imposed on him by the courts, and he is living on the 32300 block of 148th Street NE in Arlington.
Snohomish County Sheriffs Office Public Information Officer Rebecca Hover explained that McGowan is the latest in a number of registered sex offenders to move to that area.
The last few meetings weve held to discuss the sex offenders living there, weve received zero attendance, Hover said. If we get feedback from the community that they want such a meeting, though, wed be willing to do it. In the meantime, well be sending a mass-mailing of informational fliers out to his surrounding neighbors.
The Snohomish County Sheriffs Office is authorized to inform the public of a sex offenders release, but it has no legal authority to direct where a sex offender may or may not live, unless court-ordered restrictions exist.
The Sheriffs Office reminds citizens that they may not threaten, intimidate or harass registered sex offenders, especially since such citizen abuse could potentially end the ability of the Sheriffs Office to do community notifications. However, the crime prevention officers of the Sheriffs Office will be available to help citizens set up block watches, and provide them with useful information on personal safety.
McGowan has black hair, brown eyes, is five feet five inches tall, weighs 187 pounds and was born March 11, 1992. For further information about him, you may view his complete bulletin by logging onto the Sheriffs Office Web site, at http://snoco.org, and at the search prompt, type in RSO.