Designated Sexual Predator who Absconded from Registry Caught Living in Alachua

Sunday evening, Alachua Police Department officers arrested Benjamin Eugene McDaniel, 62, a designated sexual predator who absconded from the Florida Sexual Offender/Predator Registry. An absconder is defined as a sexual offender or predator who is no longer residing at the last address they provided for the registry.

Early Sunday morning, Officer Cody Tapanes was on patrol when he reportedly “observed a white male on a bicycle acting suspiciously by fleeing” upon seeing his patrol car. 

Tapanes found the bike abandoned at Skinner Field, which was closed at the time. Tapanes reportedly observed the suspect attempting to flee in the opposite direction of his bike but he was detained before he could get away.

Tapanes reported, “Upon identifying himself, the defendant provided the name of Mark Eugene Thomas and provided a date of birth. [He said] he had previously had an identification card out of Washington state. However, upon conducting a query of such through this agency's dispatch, no records were found, leading units on scene to believe ‘Mark’ (later identified as the defendant Benjamin McDaniel) was providing false information to law enforcement. However, due to technical difficulties on scene with the law enforcement database needed to identify the defendant, he was released on scene after obtaining his current home address, which was revealed to be 13207 NW 153rd Place Apt #210, Alachua, Florida. Later in the day, further follow up was conducted utilizing said law enforcement database, which revealed that the defendant had provided a false name to law enforcement.” 

The report continues, “A query of the defendant's true identity revealed that he was designated a Sexual Predator by competent authority in the State of Florida pursuant to a guilty conviction on December 13, 2002, in St. Johns County, Florida, for one count of Lewd or Lascivious Battery on a Child Under 16 Years Old… as well as a guilty conviction on June 5, 2006, in St. Johns County, Florida, for Lewd Assault/Sexual Battery on a Victim Under 16… The Defendant has previously registered in the manner outlined by F.S. § 943.0435 numerous times, and during each registration, he was presented with a copy of his FDLE Sexual Predator/Offender Registration Form detailing his statutory responsibilities, including the mandatory requirement that a sexual offender or predator who vacates a permanent, temporary, or transient residence and fails to establish or maintain another residence shall, within 48 hours after vacating, report in person to the sheriff's office of the county in which he or she is located. The defendant also held an active arrest warrant out of St. Johns County, Florida due to violating the conditions of his registration, and per the FDLE Sex Offenders Registry Database, was currently under an absconded status.”

Tapanes responded to McDaniel’s address and found that McDaniel had been living at the location for a year without notification to the registry.  

McDaniel was charged with providing false information to law enforcement and failing to register a residential address as a sex offender. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set the bond at $50,000. 

McDaniel has multiple prior convictions for noncompliance with sexual predator registration requirements and has been to Florida prison a dozen times. He has further convictions for distributing drugs to a minor, grand theft and robbery.