SAO8 Grants Convicted Sex Offender Pretrial Diversion
Last week, the Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office (SAO8) of State Attorney Brian Kramer granted convicted sexual offender Travis Dewayne Watkins, 47, a pretrial diversion on three counts of sex offender registration violations.
Watkins was initially arrested on January 20, 2026, for the registration violations along with a count of misdemeanor battery.
According to the arrest report, Watkins was previously employed at the business which the victim’s parents owned and operated out of their residence.
The victim told police that when Watkins was employed he came into the residence to heat up his food and made several comments that made her feel uncomfortable, progressing into what the arrest report describes as “inappropriate behavior” and “[unwelcome] touching.”
The victim advised that in one incident she was talking about her legs being sore from weightlifting and Watkins then “grasped her thigh and massaged her thigh while stating she needed a massage to make it feel better. [The victim] stated that it made her feel uncomfortable due to [Watkins’] comments,” such as one time he said she “looked good” in the tight fitting pants she was wearing.
The victim described another occasion where Watkins unexpectedly began massaging her shoulders causing her to pull away and tell him to not touch her.
A witness provided a sworn statement.
The arrest report indicates that Watkins admitted to touching the victim’s head but denied touching her shoulders or thighs.
During the investigation, it was also found that Watkins violated sex offender registration conditions by not informing the state that he was terminated from his employment on January 12. He also had violations stemming from not properly registering a vehicle and camper at his residence.
On March 11, Assistant State Attorney Isaiah E. Gilmore dropped the battery charge.
On March 19, Assistant State Attorney Marc J. Peterson granted Watkins a pretrial diversion for the sex offender registration violations.
In March 2011, Watkins was sentenced to four years in prison on convictions stemming from him repeatedly raping a 15-year-old girl. The victim informed authorities that Watkins threatened to harm her if she told police or stopped the sexual activity.
