The Warwick Police Department announces the arrest of a registered sex offender for violation of a new RI law aimed at protecting children. It is believed that this arrest is one of the first of its kind in the state of Rhode Island since the legislation was just recently passed, according to Colonel Stephen M. McCartney of the Warwick Police Department.

McCartney states that on Sept. 2, the Warwick Police Department along with members of the U.S. Marshall’s SOLEMN (Sex Offender Law Enforcement Multidisciplinary Network) task force arrested Heath Gagne, 40 years of age, from Vallette St. in Cranston, charging him with violation of Prohibition from Employment – Child Safe Zones, which is a felony. The arrest came as a result of shared information and a cooperative investigation with the West Warwick Police Department.

Gagne was arrested by the West Warwick Police Department on Aug. 22 for failure to notify them of a change of address, which is required of all registered sex offenders. During the course of that arrest, Detective Matt Beltrami of the West Warwick Police Department learned that Gagne currently worked for a subcontractor of a local amusement company who operates carnivals throughout the area. Upon learning this, Detective Beltrami conferred with Tracy Lapointe-Webber of Kent County Probation and they determined that Gagne’s employment constituted a violation of the new statute. Detective Beltrami advised Gagne of the new law, which prohibited him as a registered sex offender from working at the carnivals.

Follow-up investigation revealed that Gagne had in fact returned to work at a carnival in Warwick on both Aug. 22 and 23 after being advised by the detective that it was in fact unlawful to do so. Warrants were drawn for the arrest of Gagne by Warwick Police Officer Stephen Lombardi, who is a member of the SOLEMN task force, and along with the U.S. Marshall’s and Cranston Police Department he was taken into custody without incident.

“The arrest of Gagne demonstrates how the collaborative efforts of the U.S. Marshal’s Sex Offender task force along with local law enforcement and probation continues to help keep our children safe,” said McCartney.