U.S. Virgin Islands — V.I. Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea announced that 75-year-old Kenneth Burford of Stockton, California, was arrested on August 10, 2026, for allegedly failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Burford, who is subject to sex offender registration requirements was detained by Special Agent Kenneth Arthur of the V.I. Department of Justice (VIDOJ) Special Investigations Division when he appeared at the Department’s St. Thomas office to complete his registration requirements. He was convicted in California on December 2, 1987, of a sex offense involving a minor and is therefore required to register as a sex offender.
Burford appeared before the V.I. Superior Court on St. Thomas on August 11, 2026, for an Advice of Rights hearing before Magistrate Julie Smith-Todman. He was charged with Title 14, V.I. Code, Section 1724(b)(1), Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
The Court set bail at $5,500, requiring $1,000 cash with the remaining $4,500 unsecured. Burford posted the $1,000 cash bail and was released subject to the Court’s conditions. As conditions of release, Burford must remain in the territory unless granted written permission to leave, report to Probation weekly, provide a residential address, have no contact with any victim or witness, comply with all laws, maintain contact with his attorney, appear for scheduled court proceedings, and refrain from possessing firearms, ammunition or dangerous weapons.
According to the investigation, on July 18, 2026, Burford attempted to leave St. Thomas for Sacramento, California. During an interview with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer, he reportedly stated that he had been living on St. Thomas for approximately six months but had not registered as a sex offender in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He reportedly told the officer that he had intended to relocate to St. Thomas but later decided to return to California. DOJ Sex Offender Registry (SORNA) Agent Shanavia Martin was subsequently contacted by the U.S. Marshals Service regarding Burford’s alleged noncompliance. An investigation followed and led to his arrest on August 10.
Under Chapter 86, Section 1722 of Title 14 of the V.I. Code, individuals required to register as sex offenders must register with the V.I. Department of Justice and keep their registration information current. As a Tier I sex offender, Burford is required to register annually for 15 years from his initial registration date.
A team of Special Agents from the VIDOJ and Sexual Offender Registry (SORNA) unit, with the assistance of U.S. Marshals and other local and federal agencies, routinely conducts unannounced inspections of registered sexual offenders to verify their locations and other personal information, such as their work and home addresses. The Attorney General/VIDOJ is legally mandated to administer and enforce the sex offender registration laws. A registered sexual offender must notify the VIDOJ of his/her name, residence, temporary lodging information, vehicle information, Internet identifiers, telephone numbers, school information, and employment status. Registered sexual offenders in the territory are prosecuted by the Attorney General for failing to register or not keeping their registration current, as required by this law, and if convicted, the penalty is a fine of not less than $3,000.00 nor more than $5,000.00, or imprisonment for not less than three months or more than two years, or both. The law also provides that it is an offense to assist a sex offender to evade the registration requirements, which carries a fine of not less than $1,000.00 nor more than $2,000.00, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.
The sex offender registry is available for public view at https://usvi.nsopw.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2026
Sandra Goomansingh
Media Relations Director
(340) 774-5666 ext. 10105
Email: sandra.goomansingh@doj.vi.gov