3 convicted sex offenders destroy electronic monitoring devices in less than a month

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - "We've seen a pattern where they're cutting of their ankle monitors which are court ordered as part of their parole," said Houston Police Union President Joe Gamaldi.

The first convicted sex offender to cut off his electronic monitoring devices in less than a month was Jose Gilberto Rodriguez. It happened on July 5. He was living here with 23 other sex offenders. Now Rodriguez is behind bars suspected of killing three people.

"You're looking at violent offenders and sex offenders that are being put on electronic monitoring," said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers.

Last week we told you about convicted sex offender Jerry Don Seib. He, too, cut off his electronic monitoring device. He's been captured but faces no new charges for destroying his monitoring device.

"As it stands right now, if they found out they tampered with that they simply revoke their parole," Gamaldi said. "That doesn't mean they actually go back to prison."

Now the hunt is on for 53-year-old Kenneth Russel Farenworth.

"This is somebody with five prior convictions for failure to register as a sex offender," Kahan said.

Farenworth was convicted of sexually assaulting a child and is known for his violent tendencies.

"This is his second time in less than four months that he has taken a government issued,, you and I paid for, ankle monitor, taken it off and he's now a fugitive," Kahan says.

A push is now underway to change state law so dangerous parolees who destroy their monitoring devices and become wanted would face new criminal charges.