Fugitive Sex Offender Arrested In Laurel Hill

An absconded sexual offender on the run for more than a year has been arrested by members of the Walton County Marshal’s Task Force in Laurel Hill.

Christopher Dwight Cole, 47, was taken into custody Monday after attempting to flee from WCSO Investigator Darrell Goddin, a member of the US Marshal’s task Force, and patrol deputy.

When authorities arrived at 812 Bear Bay Flats, Cole was seen standing next to a truck and as soon as he saw deputies in uniform he fled into the woods. Once caught, Cole was also found to have narcotics on his person that field tested positive for methamphetamine. The truck he was standing next to also returned stolen out of Okaloosa County. More drugs and paraphernalia were found inside the vehicle.

“This has been a tireless effort by our patrol deputies and members of our agency involved in the Marshal’s Task Force,” said Sheriff Michael Adkinson. “He has evaded capture for a long time, but now he’s where he belongs.”

Cole was arrested and charged with failure to register as a sexual offender, failure to notify residence change as a sexual offender, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, resisting an officer without violence, possession of drug paraphernalia with residue, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was booked into the Walton County Jail on Monday evening where he remains in custody awaiting trial.