Article Preview

Convicted sex offender accused of violating probation must start anew

By Robert Sorrell

A man accused of violating the sex offender registry and violating his terms of probation has been allowed to go home wearing a GPS monitor.

Broadus P. Melton, 76, of 510 Bryant Ave., Elizabethton, had been charged after his probation officer said he went to Warriors Path State Park near Kingsport on March 6. According to an arrest warrant, GPS tracking listed Melton at the state park for a total of 30 minutes.

One of the rules of Melton’s probation was that he could not visit any park, playground or public swimming pool. In addition, Melton allegedly did not pay fees to the Board of Probation and Parole and had not paid his sex offender registry fee, according to Probation Officer Tim Tapp.