Convicted sex offender arrested for establishing campsite near a school

Courtesy: Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office

FORT PAYNE, Ala. (WDEF) — On Monday, a Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office SRO at Collinsville School received a tip that a convicted sex offender was seen on school grounds after hours and possibly using school buses for shelter.

The Dekalb County Criminal Investigation Unit began an investigation into the matter.

At about 10:45 P.M. the same night, authorities conducted a search of the area and discovered a campsite in a heavily wooded area near the school and the convicted sex offender was found.

Authorities found Kenneth Earl Phillips (67 of Collinsville) who is a convicted sex offender stemming from a Rape 1st conviction case in 1992 in St. Clair County. Phillips was recently registered as “Homeless.”

Phillips was arrested on Monday for Criminal Trespass 3rd by Collinsville Police Department and transported to the Dekalb County Detention Center where he is currently being held.

The investigation determined the campsite was less than 600 feet from Collinsville School’s property line, and less than 1000 feet from the nearest school building.

On Monday, a warrant was obtained by investigators due to Phillips failing to comply by establishing a residence less than 2000 feet from a school.

DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said of the incident: “I am glad that through the hard work of our Criminal Investigations Unit, Collinsville SRO and Collinsville PD, we were able to locate this individual before any other incident could occur. Please be vigilant and know your surroundings at all times so when you see something out of the ordinary, you will know. And never hesitate to call if you think something criminal is going on.”