Pinal County officials have made a shocking arrest capturing a convicted sex offender and behavioral health counselor who allegedly arrested for molesting and kidnapped a minor client.
Convicted Sex Offender’s Decades-Long History of Sexual Crimes Uncovered in Arizona
According to Sheriff Mark Lamb, Benjamin Hollins was convicted of a sex crime in California over two decades ago. However, after relocating to Arizona, Hollins failed to register as a sex offender in 2018 raising red flags among authorities.
A disturbing case unfolded when Hollins who worked as a behavioral health counselor in Arizona City, allegedly reoffended and molested a 16-year-old client. The convicted sex offender was subsequently sentenced to supervised probation, with the stipulation that he register as a sex offender every year.
Authorities were led to believe that Hollins had taken his own life after a woman helped him file a false death report claiming she saw him jump off a bridge. Despite an extensive search and allocation of resources, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office was unable to find Hollins’ body, according to the crime report of True Crime Daily.
Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Arrests Convicted Sex Offender Living with Young Children, Uncovering Decades-Long History of Sex Crimes
However, the illusion was shattered when authorities received a tip that Hollins was still alive. On May 14, the Pinal County SWAT team took Hollins into custody, revealing that he was living with a family with young children – unbeknownst to them, Hollins had a sordid past.