Columbia man charged as non-compliant sex offender after found near school

COLUMBIA, Ky. (WBKO) - A Columbia man was charged with being a non-compliant sex offender after he was found on an Adair County Public School’s property.

Chaz Shofner, 27, was charged with third-degree criminal trespassing, registered sex offender school restrictions and failure to comply with sex offender registration.

Columbia City Police received a call at noon Tuesday about a man that was staying at Country Place Apartments as a non-compliant sex offender.

Police were told the mad had left the complex on foot before they arrived.

A School Resource Officer then reported a man walking along the tree line on an Adair County Public School’s property.

The SRO said that the man noticed the police cruiser and left the scene.

A soft lockdown of schools was placed into effect as other School Resource Officers and units from Columbia City Police and the Adair County Sheriff’s Office attempted to locate the man later identified as Shofner.

Police eventually found Shofner hiding in a thicket and was taken into custody.

Shofner remains housed at the Adair County Regional Jail on no bond. No court date has been set at this time.