York County Sheriff’s Office looking for registered sex offender

Update: Parker has been apprehended

Previous story:

The York County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating a fugitive sex offender.

Tony Joe Parker, 45, is wanted by law enforcement for failure to register as a sex offender with the state registry.

Detectives with the sheriff’s office have obtained warrants for Parker after he failed to register as a sex offender in York County. This is Parker’s second offense of failing to register with law enforcement as required by state law, according to a release from the York County Sheriff’s Office issued Wednesday afternoon.

Parker is also being sought by the S.C. Department of Probation, Pardon and Parole after he reportedly cut off an ankle monitor to avoid being tracked by law enforcement.

Parker was convicted in July 2012 of committing a lewd act on a child under 16, according to the S.C. sex offender registry, where his listed address is 2130 Farlow St. in Rock Hill. His last verification date was Nov. 14, 2014, according to the website.

Parker is listed as 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighing 170 pounds, with brown or partially gray hair and green eyes. He has tattoos on his neck, left hand and fingers, including images of the Grim Reaper and devil tattooed on his chest and a heart with ribbons through it displayed on his back.

Anyone with information on Parker’s whereabouts is asked to call York County Crime Stoppers at 1-877-409-4321 or the York County Sheriff’s Office at 803-628-3059

This story was originally published April 1, 2015 at 6:20 PM with the headline "York County Sheriff’s Office looking for registered sex offender."