CHARLESTON, W.Va. – – James Terry Lawson Jr., 43, pleaded guilty today to failing to register and update his registration as a sex offender as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) after traveling in interstate commerce and relocating to West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about October 1, 2024, through on or about May 1, 2025, Lawson resided in Vienna, West Virginia, without registering as a sex offender. Lawson was convicted of indecent liberties with children in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, Superior Court on December 3, 2003, and is required to register under SORNA.
Lawson has a criminal history that also includes prior convictions for failing to register as a sex offender on May 27, 2004, September 21, 2009, and July 14, 2017.
Lawson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 5, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-3.
