A Muldrow man has been charged with failure to comply with sex offender registration act after county deputies found two adults and their six children living on his property. Billy Joe Arnold, 45, received a $25,000 bond and is now scheduled for a September 4 felony disposition docket before Judge Kyle Waters.

On the evening of July 21, Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Deputy Colton Goff reported he and deputy Mark Choate were dispatched to E. 1080 Road in Muldrow in reference to a suicidal juvenile. Another juvenile had reportedly contacted 911 and told them about the juvenile.

At the residence, the deputies came in contact with Arnold and told him they were looking for the two juveniles. After giving the juveniles’ last names, Arnold told them no one with those last names lived there.

After visiting a neighboring residence, the deputies went back to the residence where they came in contact with another man, who told them he knew the two juveniles and had them speak with the deputies.

While questioning the juveniles, the deputies reported they appeared fearful and one admitted to having “a small amount of suicidal thoughts,” according to the probable cause affidavit for arrest. The juvenile was then taken into emergency custody for a mental evaluation.

Dispatch advised Arnold was a convicted sex offender, so Choate contacted investigator Amy Edwards, who monitors Sequoyah County registered sex offenders.

Edwards informed the deputies there were six juvenile children living on Arnold’s property who were of no relation to him and requested they do a compliance check. Once inside the residence, the deputies reported finding numerous articles of children’s clothing and two backpacks. They also reported finding a marijuana smoking pipe on a bedside table.

Edwards said Arnold was not allowed to be around any children unless they were biologically his.

Arnold told authorities the children did not live with him, but lived in a tent 10 feet from his residence.

Arnold was then placed under arrest for failing to comply with his sex offender registry and transported to the Sequoyah County Detention Center.

The other man at the residence was unable to give deputies any information about the juveniles because he said their mother was not there, although she was reportedly found in an abandoned trailer.

The deputies reported there was no running water, no stove for cooking and no refrigerator for keeping food. Due to the poor living conditions and that so many people were living in a single-room residence, Department of Human Services was called.

State authorities told the man and woman they needed to leave the property with the children because Arnold was a registered sex offender.