A Jamestown man convicted of a sex crime in 1997 has been charged with failing to register as a sex offender.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office on Friday announced that Shawn Edward Hastings, 50, had been charged by criminal complaint.

Hastings was convicted in April 1997 in Cattaraugus County Court on a charge of second-degree sodomy. As a result, the city man is required to register as a sex offender for life, which includes updating his registration to reflect any out-of-state change in address within 10 days.

As of Jan. 4, 2018, Hastings registered an address in Warner Robins, Ga., but later that year, and without notifying authorities, he obtained an apartment on Prendergast Avenue in Jamestown.

In 2019, Hastings began receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and public assistance funds through New York state.

On March 11, the U.S. Marshal Service received information that Hastings fled Georgia and was residing in Jamestown.

It was learned that Hastings was evicted from his Jamestown apartment for non-payment of rent.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Marshal Service.

“The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.