LAKE CITY JOURNAL - 2/22/2010

On Sunday, February 21, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Deputies arrested a Lake City man for failing to register as a sexual offender in the State of Florida.

On Friday, February 19, the Lake City Police Department was notified by staff members at Summers Elementary that the RAPTOR system alerted that a potential sexual offender, Malcolm Styles, 33, was on campus. LCPD immediately made contact with CCSO Detective John Hatcher for assistance. It was quickly determined that Styles’ step-children attend Summers Elementary and he was there to pick up the children.

Detective Hatcher determined that Styles was convicted in the State of Georgia in 1994 for child molestation and was registered as a sexual offender in that state. Detective Hatcher’s investigation found that Mr. Styles obtained a Florida Driver’s License in 2009 but failed to notify the State of his sexual offender status and failed to register as an offender.

Detectives and deputies worked throughout the weekend to locate Styles. Detectives believe that Styles and his family left the county for the weekend. On Sunday, concerned citizens notified Detective Hatcher that Styles had returned home. Deputy Jesse Cieslik and Sgt H. Bulthius discovered Styles hiding under a mattress in a bedroom at 121 N.W. Whitley Glen. He was taken into custody without incident at approximately 2:15 p.m.

Malcolm Exavior Styles was arrested and charged with Failure to Register as a Sex Offender with the Sheriff’s Office, Failure to Register as Sex Offender with the FL DHSMV. Styles was booked into the Columbia County Detention Facility and is being held without bond.

At no time were any children at Summers Elementary in danger. Styles was on campus only to remove his step-children for a trip out of county.