CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office recently took absconded sex offender, James Jackson Pace, 65, into custody.
The CCSO said it received an anonymous tip regarding Pace’s location on Friday, July 31. “After acting on the information received, deputies responded to the location and safely apprehended James Jackson Pace without incident,” it said.
Pace was arrested on a Cullman County grand jury indictment on two counts of violating the Alabama Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Act SORNA. He is currently being held on a $20,000 property bond.
According to the CCSO, Pace served 15 years in the Alabama Department of Corrections after being convicted of first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy involving an 8-year-old female victim.
Following his release from prison in January 2022, Pace registered with the CCSO SORNA Unit as required by law. During a monthly address verification conducted in August 2024, deputies discovered that Pace had moved from his registered residence without notifying the SORNA Unit, a violation of Alabama law. A warrant was issued for Pace’s arrest, and the U.S. Marshals Service was notified that he had absconded.
Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry said despite ongoing efforts to locate him, his whereabouts remained unknown until Friday’s anonymous tip led deputies directly to his location.
“I want to commend our deputies for their outstanding work in safely taking this offender into custody,” he said. “This arrest is a perfect example of how important our partnership with the community truly is. One anonymous tip helped remove an absconded sex offender from our streets. If you know something, please say something. The information you provide could make all the difference in keeping Cullman County safe.”
