Over the past few weeks, members of the Provo Police Department, Utah Fraternal Order of Police, Brigham Young University Police Department, Utah Department of Public Safety and various community outreach agencies have received “concerning emails” from an unknown source, Provo police said in a press release. Police claim they were able to identify the person sending the emails as Anietie Wilson Umoren, a 42-year-old man, who is listed on the national sex offender registry.

The emails Umoren allegedly sent worried authorities, according to Provo police spokeswoman Janna-Lee Holland, so they had been looking for him for several weeks. On Wednesday, officers found and arrested him in the East Bay area of Provo and took him to the Utah County Jail where he is currently being held without bail. He has been charged with failure to register as a sex offender, a third-degree felony.

Umoren is in the registry under a Salt Lake City address, which Holland described as a homeless services agency, but she said most of his recent activities and interactions have been in Utah County, including trying to obtain a motel voucher and an ID from the Food and Care Coalition.

An affidavit of probable cause says Umoren told officers he lives in Salt Lake City and makes frequent visits to Utah County. Additionally, staff at the Food and Care Coalition said he is often seen at the facility and regularly does his laundry at the site. For that reason, police believe him to be a noncompliant sex offender.

The Utah Department of Corrections website states that, “Offenders must register within three business days of every change of primary residence, any secondary residence, place of employment, vehicle information, or educational information.” That’s true even of people who are homeless and relocate.

According to the press release, Umoren’s emails “appeared to contain delusional ideas and concerning ideations” but also included “vague threats of violence expressed towards a female the author claimed to be watching.”

Holland said there were ideations about women in general throughout the several emails sent, but one of the emails named a specific woman, but police have not yet discovered if it is a real or a made-up person. “We only have partial information on that,” Holland said, adding that they have not contacted any women with the name listed. She declined to release the name used in the emails.

The emails also were not released, Holland explained, because “If it does escalate and we do get an identification, and it becomes direct, there’s a potential for future charges.”

The content of the emails alone reportedly was not enough to warrant any charges against Umoren, but it did alert the police that he was in the area and caused alarm because of what was written, Holland said. Because of that concern, PPD issued the release as a general warning to the public, despite no new evidence of wrongdoing.

According to the press release, “Of particular concern to investigators, was the fact Umoren is a registered sex offender who had previously committed sex offenses against women at Utah Valley University and the University of Utah.”

In addition, he has previously been found guilty of lewdness, burglary and violating restraining orders. On the national sex offender registry, Umoren’s offense is listed as attempted forcible sexual abuse, a third-degree felony, for which he was found guilty but mentally ill in 2018. The incident consisted of Umoren groping a female adult outside of her apartment complex then entering a movie theater and touching a different adult woman over and underneath her clothing.

He is currently being held until a court date is set, but could be released in the next two to four weeks, Holland said.

“This also serves as a reminder for all to be aware of our surroundings and take appropriate precautions with regards to personal safety,” the press release stated. “Please report any suspicious activity to police.”