Help Needed to Locate Absconding Sex Offender

Murphy, NC— Cherokee County Sheriff Derrick Palmer and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office is requesting the public’s assistance in locating Ricky Leroy Leistra a 32 year old Cherokee County NC Registered Sex Offender.
Currently Leistra has failed to report to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office as required by North Carolina General Statutes pertaining to the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry. According to records Leistra has previously been charged with violations of the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry. Leistra’s current violation was discovered during a monthly check of reported addresses of the registrants and upon Leistra’s failure to return a semi-annual verification form as required by North Carolina General Statutes.

On or about May 17th, 1999, Leistra entered a guilty plea in Cherokee County Superior Court to Indecent Liberties with a Child. North Carolina General Statute (NCGS) 14-208.5 requires that individuals that are convicted of certain offenses to register with the Sheriff of the county in which they live. Indecent Liberties with a child NCGS 14-202.1 is an offense requiring the individual to be required to register with the Sheriff of the county in which he or she resides.

Sheriff Palmer stated

“We continue to be aggressive in ensuring compliance with the conditions and restrictions placed upon registered sex offenders. The unfortunate history behind the laws which formulate our current day registry lend to us a sense of urgency when a sex offender is non-compliant. We ask that our community join in our pursuant for safety of our children and encourage anyone who may know of Mr. Leistra’s location or any other non-complaint registrants to contact us immediately.”

Sheriff Palmer encourages any one that has information to report it. To report crime in Cherokee County you can call the anonymous tip line at 828-837-1344 or email a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov or call 911 if you observe a crime in progress.