Sex offender, woman charged

Lumber Bridge, N.C. — A convicted sex offender on probation and his female friend have been arrested on charges that they violated laws regarding sex offenders, according to the Hoke County Sheriff's Office.

Pamela Margaret Lewis was arrested July 31 on charges of conducting child care in a sex offender's home and failure to report non-compliance by a sex offender. Investigators said Lewis brought her grandchild to her 7800 Arabia Road home, although a sex offender,  Jeffery Dale Sutton, 38, had told authorities he lived there.

Investigators found out that Sutton hadn't stayed at the home for several weeks.

Sutton was arrested last Tuesday and charged with sex offender residence violation. He was being held in the Hoke County Jail under a $40,000 secured bond.

According to state Department of Correction records, Sutton was sentenced to 5 years' probation in 2006 after being convicted on two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and one count of second-degree kidnapping in. He has earlier convictions for DWI and breaking-and-entering.