Sex offender to live in Lynnwood

Published 9:00 pm Sunday, November 25, 2001

Herald staff

LYNNWOOD — Snohomish County sheriff’s officials have issued a warning about the presence of a registered sex offender who will live in the 16000 block of Highway 99 in the south Lynnwood area.

Jack A. Whitson, 42, has a history of sex offenses dating back to his youth. He typically gains access to the victims by offering his baby-sitting services for free or at a nominal cost, sheriff’s spokeswoman Jan Jorgensen said.

Whitson was convicted of indecent liberties involving a 5-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy in 1997 and was sentenced to five years probation. In 1991, he was sentenced to 130 months in prison after he was convicted of first-degree rape of a child involving a 3-year-old girl he was baby-sitting, Jorgensen said.

In 1973, as a juvenile, Whitson sexually assaulted four children, ages 3 to 6. And in 1974, he sexually assaulted a 5-year-old neighbor girl.

Whitson is not wanted by police, but authorities consider him a high risk to commit more crimes.

Whitson is 5-feet-7 inches, 200 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Sheriff’s officials will conduct a meeting from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Meadowdale Elementary School at 6505 168th St. SW to discuss sex offender issues.