US Marshal's Service Seeking Billings Sex Offender

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US Marshal's Service seeking Billings sex offender

montanasnewsstation.com - Oct 5, 2007 10:48 AM

http://i13.tinypic.com/4mx4d3l.gif » US Marshal's Service seeking Billings sex offender

Officials with the U.S. Marshals Service along with authorities in Colorado are asking for the public's help in finding a convicted sex offender from Billings and a 16-year-old girl who may be with him.

Matthew Preston Caulk, 40, is wanted in Yellowstone County for failing to register as a sex offender. He was convicted of sexual misconduct with a child in Washington State back in 2002.

Caulk was last seen on September 26th in both Morrison, Colorado and Lakewood, Colorado. Amber Westbrook, 16, was seen with Caulk in Morrison.

Police say Caulk met Amber at the apartment complex where Amber lived and where Caulk was living and working some odd jobs.

Caulk is described as being 5'8" tall, weighing 170 pounds with hazel eyes, shaved brown hair and several tattoos. Westbrook is said to be 5'7" tall, weighing 170 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes.

According to Deputy Chief US Marshal Rod Ostermiller, Caulk requested a transfer to Billings in March of 2007 on his parole records.

He gave the parole board an address on Lomond Lane in Billings.

Ostermiller then says Caulk never checked in with his parole officer, and failed to register as a sex offender prompting authorities to issue a warrant for his arrest.

Ostermiller says Marshals are not aware of any relatives that Caulk may have in Billings and he says they're still unsure why he chose to come to Billings.

He says that America's Most Wanted is taking an interest in the case.

Officials are urging anyone with information abut this case to contact the U.S. Marshals Service.

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http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=7169383&nav=menu227_1

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YELLOWSTONE COUNTY
SEX/VIOLENT OFFENDER REGISTRY

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CAULK, MATTHEW PRESTON

http://www.co.yellowstone.mt.us/sheriff/offender/search2.asp

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Search On for Colorado Teen, Sex Offender

FOX NEWS - Thursday, October 04, 2007

DENVER — The U.S. Marshals Service and Lakewood police are asking for the public's help to find a man who's a convicted sex offender — and a 16-year-old girl who may be with him.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Rodriguez says 40-year-old Matthew Preston Caulk is wanted in Yellowstone County, Montana for failing to register as a sex offender.

He was convicted of sexual misconduct with a child in Pierce County, Washington in 2002.

Authorities say Caulk was last seen on September 26th in both Morrison and Lakewood. Rodriguez says Amber Nicole Westbrook was seen with Caulk in Morrison. .....

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Amber Nicole Westbrook - FNC

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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,299369,00.html

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AMW FUGITIVE DATA FILE FOR Matthew Preston Caulk

Sex Offender May Be Traveling With Teen

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http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=49485

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Lakewood police searching for teen girl, sex offender, 40

By April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain News - October 2, 2007

Lakewood police issued a missing persons alert today for 16-year-old Amber Nicole Westbrook who apparently ran off with a convicted sex offender more than twice her age.

Westbrook was last seen Sept. 25 at Middle College of Denver in Lakewood where she took classes, police said.

It's believed she is with Matthew "Matt" Preston Caulk, 40, who is wanted by the U.S. Marshal's Office for failure to register as a sex offender in Montana.

Caulk has been convicted of sexual misconduct with minor in the state of Washington, said Lakewood Police Sgt. Matt Testa, of the crimes against children unit.

"It seems she's gone voluntarily with him," he said. "We don't have a note saying, 'Bye, Mom, I'm running off with this guy.'" .....

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http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5712640,00.html

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Runaway Takes Off With Sex Offender

-- No Laws Broken, but Parents Fear Girl Could Be in Danger --

abcnews.go.com - By DAVID SCHOETZ - Oct. 4, 2007

Colorado authorities are searching for a convicted sex offender and 16-year-old girl who they believe had a consensual relationship and ran away together last week.

Matthew Preston Caulk, 40, is wanted by police for not registering as a sex offender in Montana and Colorado. He was convicted in Washington state in 2002 for sexual misconduct with a child in Washington. Caulk was last seen Sept. 26 in Morrison, Colo.

Amber Westbrook, a girl with whom he had been in a relationship with for some time, according to her parents, was last seen Sept. 25 when her parents dropped her off at school in Denver.

"They have had some type of relationship," Lakewood Police Department spokesman Steve Davis told ABC News. "Whether that's an intimate one, I don't know."

Davis repeatedly stressed, however, that right now, there is "absolutely no indication of any criminal behavior," and that if Caulk were not wanted on the two warrants for not registering as a sex offender, they would not by law be able to detain him.

"We don't have a crime here," Davis said.

He acknowledged that some people have had a difficult time understanding that, and that it probably does little to satisfy the girl's parents, "but there's no law, so far, that's been broken."

That will change, Davis added, if investigators determine that Caulk and Westbrook engaged in sexual activity. .....

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http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3690042&page=1

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Sex offender linked to missing Lakewood girl

By Kirk Mitchell - The Denver Post - 10/04/2007

A 16-year-old Lakewood girl who has been missing for a week had a relationship with a convicted sex offender who is also missing, authorities said.

Amber Nicole Westbrook was last seen Sept. 25 at the Middle College of Denver, near 29th Avenue and Federal Boulevard, where she was enrolled, said Sgt. Mathew Testa of Lakewood Police Department's crimes against children unit.

She is considered a missing person and a possible runaway, Testa said.

Matthew "Matt" Preston Caulk, 40, of Lakewood, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a minor in Washington state, has been missing since Wednesday, Testa said. .....

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http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_7062207

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Missing Lakewood girl draws national interest

By Kirk Mitchell - The Denver Post - Article Last Updated: 10/04/2007

The case of a missing 16-year-old girl from Lakewood who is believed to be with a convicted sex offender has drawn attention nationally.

Authorities say Amber Nicole Westbrook and Matthew "Matt" Preston Caulk, 40, were having a relationship.

Amber was last seen Sept. 25 at the Middle College of Denver, near 29th Avenue and Federal Boulevard, where she was enrolled, said Sgt. Mathew Testa of Lakewood Police Department's crimes against children unit. .....

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http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_7084112

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16-Year-Old Girl Runs Away With Convicted Sex Offender

-- Parents: Daughter Doesn't Know Offender's Background --

thedenverchannel.com - UPDATED: 6:10 pm MDT October 4, 2007

LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- The U.S. Marshals Service has joined the search for a missing 16-year-old Lakewood girl who ran away last week with a convicted sex offender.

Police believe that Amber Nicole Westbrook was involved in an ongoing relationship with Matthew Preston Caulk, a convicted sex offender more than twice her age. Police said Amber met the 40-year-old Caulk at the apartment complex where she lived and where Caulk was living and working odd jobs.

"He uses his personal charm," said Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal David Floyd, "to ingratiate himself with minors, and is able to gain their confidence and perpetrate his crimes."

Authorities worry that Amber may be in danger and not even know it. Her parents don't believe she is aware that Caulk is a convicted sex offender.

"She would never have left with him if she knew what kind of person he truely was," said Amber's Mom, Kimberley Maloney.

Amber has been classified as an "endangered runaway" and the public has been asked to help find her. .....

Excerpt: Amber's father confronted Caulk one afternoon to try to put an end to the relationship.

"I just tried to let him know that he needed to try to hang out with people his own age. He didn't have any reason to be hanging out with teenagers," said Roger Westbrook.

Westbrook said that he when he learned of Caulk's true name, he looked it up on the Internet and that's when he learned that the man his daughter was seeing was a sex offender with a history of assault on minors. That's when Amber's parents contacted police.

Caulk may be driving a red 2000 Mercury Cougar with expired Nebraska license plates, or a dark green Volkswagen Golf, police said.

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http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/14265610/detail.html

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Colorado Teen Who Disappeared With Sex Offender Found Safe

FOX NEWS - Friday, October 05, 2007

A Colorado teen who disappeared last month with a sex offender has been found safe, FOX News has learned.

A media tip led police to Amber Nicole Westbrook, 16, in Conifer, Colo., west of Denver, as well as Matthew Preston Caulk, a 40-year-old sex offender.

The U.S. Marshals Service and Lakewood police have been searching for the teen since Sept. 26, when she disappeared with Caulk.

Caulk is wanted in Yellowstone County, Mont., for failing to register as a sex offender, Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Rodriguez said.

He was convicted of sexual misconduct with a child in Pierce County, Wash., in 2002.

Police have taken Caulk into custody. Westbrook is being reunited with her family.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,299644,00.html