Registered sex offender arrested after dressing up as Elmo around children, operating farmers' market

A convicted sex offender was arrested for failing to update his address while police investigated the zoning regulations for a farmers' market. The man allegedly interacted with children and dressed up as "Sesame Street" character Elmo, according to Fox News.

A detective from the Utah County Sheriff's Office was sent to investigate the Lehi Farmers Market after reports said it had been operating in violation of state code and zoning ordinances.

As they investigated, detectives found that one of the operators of the farmers market was a 74-year-old sex offender registered on the Utah Sex Offender Registry. The man was arrested April 14, 2023, after police learned that he had not registered himself as a sex offender at his new address.

Previously listed as living in Saratoga Springs, Utah, the man had been living at the same location as the farmers' market and didn't update his address, authorities discovered.

Investigators looked on the Lehi Farmers Market social media pages and found the man dressed up as Elmo from "Sesame Street." They also found two Instagram photos of the sex offender holding a child while he was on a tractor, as well as interacting with animals.

The man, named Larry Jarvis, registered as a sex offender after a conviction in 1995 on two counts of attempted sexual assault.

Utah law requires that all registered sex offenders must get permission from parents before being in the presence of their child. However, the man was allegedly in violation of these stipulations.

Jarvis was arrested and charged with failure to update sex offender registry address, a third-degree felony, as well as a misdemeanor charge of sex offender violation in a protected area.

He was released on a $5,000 bond.

The offender took a FaceTime call with local outlet KUTV and apologized to the community.

"I've been on this for 30 years and no other offenses. I'm trying to improve myself and be helpful to others. I really am sorry that I offended everyone and apologize for any kind of fear or undue concern that I caused them, especially for my sweet wife, and other people I know and worked with," Jarvis said.

"If they have concerns, I understand because there is such a stigma attached to the word sex offender," he added.

The farmers' market posted on Facebook that organizers are "looking into all concerns and working closely with law enforcement to ensure that our farm is a safe, family friendly place to visit."

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