She replied to Craigslist ad seeking ‘personal aide.’ This sex offender posted it, NY cops say

A New York sex offender is back behind bars after police say he violated his parole by posting a Craigslist ad seeking a “personal aide.”

Terri Havens, a 49-year-old registered sex offender, was convicted of sodomy charges in 2003, according to the New York state sex offender registry. His victim was a 5-year-old girl he knew, and he served a 13-year sentence in state prison following his conviction, the registry said. Havens was released from prison last year.

Havens had been living in Livingston County in western New York when he recently advertised on Craigslist seeking a “personal aide,” according to police. But using the internet at all is a clear violation of Havens’ parole, Mount Morris Police Chief Ken Mignemi said.

“I've never been to his place, but I don't know what type of a personal aide he would actually need,” Mignemi told WHAM. “He seems to be in good physical condition, never seemed to be someone that would have to have an aide. But I don't know his meaning of an aide is either.”

A woman scrolling through Craigslist saw the ad and replied to Havens, Mignemi said — but when he identified himself as Terri Havens, she realized she was corresponding with a local sex offender.

After the woman called authorities, Havens’ state parole officers scoured his apartment and discovered a smartphone, Mignemi said. The phone was seized because Havens had been using the device to get online, in violation of his parole, according to police.

In addition to sneaking a smartphone, Havens is also accused of violating his parole-imposed curfew, WHEC reports.

Havens is classified as a level-three sex offender, which means he has a maximum risk of reoffending, according to the state registry. His most recent home address was in Mount Morris, according to online Livingston County Sheriff’s Office records.

But Havens’ current address — listed with the state sex offender registry — is the Livingston County Jail. That’s where Havens is being held as he awaits a parole hearing, Mignemi told McClatchy.

Mignemi told WHAM that he’s unsure why exactly Havens was seeking a “personal aide.”

This story was originally published May 16, 2018 at 2:19 PM with the headline "She replied to Craigslist ad seeking ‘personal aide.’ This sex offender posted it, NY cops say."