Behavioral health counselor allegedly faked his own death to avoid registering as a sex offender
05/16/2024 4:36 pm PDT
PINAL COUNTY, Ariz. (TCD) -- Officials recently arrested a convicted sex offender and behavioral health counselor who allegedly kidnapped and molested one of his minor clients.
According to Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, Benjamin Hollins was convicted as a sex offender in California more than two decades ago. After he moved to Arizona, Hollins reportedly failed to register as a sex offender in 2018.
Hollins reportedly worked as a behavioral health counselor in Arizona City. While on the job, he allegedly reoffended and molested a 16-year-old client. Hollins was sentenced to supervised probation after entering a plea deal. As part of the agreement, Hollins was ordered to register as a sex offender every year.
According to Lamb, in October 2023, a woman helped Hollins file a false death report, claiming she saw him jump off a bridge. However, despite devoting money and resources to the search, the sheriff’s office never found Hollins’ body.
Authorities said, "Once Hollins was 'dead,' his sex offender registration lapsed."
With the help of the county’s SWAT team, officials took Hollins into custody on May 14. At the time, Hollins was reportedly living with a family with young children. The family he was staying with "had no idea about his history," according to the sheriff’s office.
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