James Henry Herb, III, age 52, of Elmira, New York, was indicted by a federal grand jury for failing to register as a sex offender after relocating from Pennsylvania to New York, according to a May 13 announcement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
The indictment alleges that between December 2025 and April 1, 2026, Herb did not comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) requirements after moving from central Pennsylvania. United States Attorney Brian D. Miller said Herb was required to register his address but failed to do so as mandated by law.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that this prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice focused on combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. “Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims,” according to the press release.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is up to ten years in prison along with supervised release following imprisonment and a fine. Sentencing will be determined by a judge considering relevant statutes and guidelines if there is a finding of guilt.
Indictments are only allegations at this stage; all persons charged are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania prosecutes federal crimes such as this one across its jurisdiction covering thirty-three counties and serves about 3.2 million residents through initiatives like Project Safe Neighborhoods as well as reentry services aimed at reducing recidivism according to the official website.
