DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines man was arrested Tuesday after attempting to entice a child waiting for the school bus, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office received a report of a man approaching a child at the bus stop near NW 2nd Street and NW 47th Place at around 7 a.m. on Tuesday.
The suspect allegedly approached the child in a car and offered them a ride to school. When the child refused the ride, the man left the scene.
While a sheriff's deputy was on the scene to take the report, he observed a man who matched the description of the suspect, but was driving a different car.
The deputy conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as 64-year-old Jerry LaBlue of Des Moines.
Deputies spoke with witnesses at the scene, as well as LaBlue. During this time, officials learned LaBlue is a registered sex offender.
LaBlue was ultimately charged with the following:
- Attempting to Entice a Minor
- Iowa Sex Offender Registry Violation - 2nd or subsequent offense
- Operating While under the Influence
“Child safety is and always will be a top priority for me.” said Polk County Sheriff Kevin Schneider in a statement. “You can see by the work done in this case that my deputies share that priority. I am very proud of the work the men and women of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office do every day.”
LaBlue is currently being held at Polk County Jail.
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