Cobb Forwards Case to Feds

The case of a Cobb sex offender who allegedly moved to Las Vegas without alerting authorities and took a flight attendant job with AirTran Airways has been forwarded to federal authorities.

Jeffrey Eric Simons was convicted of furnishing/distributing obscene material to minors on March 10, 2009, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Sex Offender Registry.

Since April 7, 2013, a Cobb County Sheriff's Office investigator has attempted six home verification checks at his last known address in the 1900 block of Red Oak Way.

"As of June 11, 2013," according to a Cobb County warrant for Simons' arrest, the "investigator has been unable to locate accused."

That is because Simons moved from Kennesaw to an undisclosed address in Las Vegas on Jan. 14, records show. Sex offenders are required by law to register new addresses within 72 hours of the change.

Not only did Simons fail to comply with that requirement, he allegedly "traveled to at least 18 different counties, inside of 11 different states, undetected and without notification to or registration with the local sheriff's offices of these counties" between Jan. 14 and May 21, according to the warrant.

Brad Hawkins, the spokesman for Southwest Airlines, the owner of AirTran Airways, told Patch that Simons "is employed with AirTran Airways," but "he is not flying."

Hawkins offered no other details.

In Cobb, Simons is wanted on a charge of failure to register, which is a felony.

The case has been forwarded to federal authorities because of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, which requires that offenders involved in interstate travel register with local authorities or face federal prosecution.