A registered sex offender ordered not to have contact with children was caught with a 16-year old allegedly living with him.

Thomas Jones is on the Sex Offender Registry for a sexual battery conviction that occurred in September of this year.

When 20-year old Jones showed up at the state’s probation office on Wednesday he presented the probation officer with a note. The handwritten letter stated that the teenager in question was allowed to live with Jones. The letter was even notarized by an unknown third party in Oklahoma.  Jones evidently thought the letter was good enough to allow for a teenage girl to live at his residence. When authorities removed the girl from the home, they tried to find a relative to take custody of her, but quickly determined that she did not have any legal guardian living in the state. The Department of Children Services had to take custody of the teen.

Officers who arrested Jones say that when they entered his home they found rotting food outside the kitchen door, food on the stove, piles of dirty dishes in the kitchen, trash and flies throughout the house. Police say as they made their way from room to room they found more spoiled food, trash and dirty clothes.

Also living in the home with Jones was his 18-year old wife Jessica and her 3-month old son. An incident report indicated that a second 3-month old also lived in the home. The second baby belonged to another family member. By law Jones is not allowed to live with any children who are not his biological son or daughter. Because only one child in the home was his, he was charged with violating the sex offender registry… and because the house was in such disarray, he and his wife were each charged with two counts of child neglect.

DCS not only took custody of the teenage girl, but also appointed a caregiver to the two babies. A family member responded to the Academy Street home and picked up the two 3-month olds.

The couple will appear in court on February 2nd. 

(PICTURED: Thomas Jones)