An Oregon man arrested in Casper for being an unregistered sex offender will be turned over to Montana authorities for prosecution on more severe charges, according to federal court documents.

Jerrod Jay Schalk was arrested in late January by Casper police after they responded to a residence in the 2400 block of CY Avenue for possible criminal activity, according to a criminal complaint filed by a U.S. Marshal with the U.S. District Court on Friday.

Schalk told police he was a sex offender in Oregon, left the state because there were warrants out for his arrest, and did not register in Natrona County because he was afraid of being arrested on those warrants.

A Casper police officer learned from the Oregon State Police that Schalk had been convicted of rape in the second degree and sodomy in the second degree in Marion County, Ore, in 2003.

Because of those convictions, Schalk would have been required register for life in Wyoming, but could request relief for registration from a Wyoming Court after 25 years.

Failure to register under the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and between five years to life probation.

The U.S. Marshal wrote Schalk began living at the CY Avenue address beginning Jan. 1. His criminal complaint did not say why Schalk moved to Casper.

He is still in custody at the Natrona County Detention Center.

However, Schalk won't be staying in Wyoming.

Just hours after the criminal complaint was filed, Wyoming Assistant U.S. Attorney James Anderson filed a motion with the court to dismiss the pending charge of failing to register as a sex offender.

The U.S. Marshals Service learned that Montana authorities want to charge Schalk with more serious crimes including the sexual abuse of minors.

"The dismissal of this matter will expedite the return of the Defendant to Montana so that the sexual abuse prosecution can proceed in an expeditious manner," Anderson wrote.

U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson granted the request late Friday.

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