Convicted sex offender arrested again

A convicted sex offender who has twice been charged with felony offenses in Stillwater County relating to his crimes in back behind bars again.
Johan Albert Smith, 47, was arrested last week by the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office when that agency received information that Smith was living in the area but had not registered as a sexual offender, as is required under state law. As of Wednesday, Smith remained in the Yellowstone County Detention Facility with bail set at $50,000.
A citizen’s tip to police led to the arrest, according to Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office dispatch records. According to the state’s Sexual Violent Offender Registry, Smith is listed as a “non-compliant registrant” and “address verification overdue.” His last known address was in Billings.
Smith’s criminal history includes convictions for attempted rape in Virginia in 1988, third degree sexual assault in Washington in 1996, failing to register as a sex offender in Stillwater County in 2009 and violating his probation by having contact with young children just two weeks after being released from prison in 2011.
In the 2009 case, Smith claimed he did not realize he had to register as a sexual offender with the state. His non-compliant status was discovered when he was arrested for DUI by Columbus police.
In 2011 he was sent back to prison after admitting to being around young children just two weeks after being released from state custody from the 2009 case.
That incident occurred at the Women’s Shelter in Billings at which Billings police found him six feet away from a 3-year-old girl and her mother, according to prosecutors.
Lawmen also learned Smith had taken a 4-year-old boy and his father to a grocery store and bought the child a toy, as well as spending time at the shelter.
Smith told Jones that he “didn’t think” to ask his probation officer about the activity and was merely trying to be a good citizen.
Jones designated Smith a Level 2 offender, meaning he is at moderate risk to reoffend. He is listed as a Level 1 offender by the Department of Justice, which rates him as a low risk to reoffend.