State Police capture wanted convicted sex offender in Warren County woods

View larger image This shanty was set up on a tract of wooded land in Warren County co-owned by a wanted convicted sex offender who was captured on Friday. Photo by Virginia State Police

Virginia State Police issued the following press release today:

WARREN CO. - A convicted sex offender wanted for failing to re-register is now behind bars after being found living in a makeshift shanty in a wooded area in Warren County.

Sean Joseph Cavanaugh, 48, was wanted in Henrico County for violating a suspended sentence on an aggravated sexual battery charge, Spotsylvania County for failing to update his change of address, and by the Department of Corrections for a parole violation. Cavanaugh is now being held at the Warren County Jail.

Senior Trooper J.D. Rose initiated an investigation into tracking down the whereabouts of Cavanaugh, when he received information that the convicted sex offender was possibly living on an undeveloped tract of land near Blue Mountain. Cavanaugh is a co-owner of the property.

On Dec. 4, 2009, the Virginia State Police Culpeper Division Tactical Team, with the assistance of State Police Aviation, located Cavanaugh and his makeshift living quarters. Cavanaugh cooperated with authorities and was taken into custody by Trooper J.E. Smith without incident.

State Police also recovered two rifles Cavanaugh had been using to hunt for food.

Cavanaugh has been charged with failure to re-register with the Virginia Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries charged him with one count of killing game out of season.