The U.S. Marshals are in search of a serial child rapist with ties to Central Illinois who has been on the lam for 20 years.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of 70 year old Herman Arthur Carroll. Carroll was arrested on July 3, 2000 after being accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl. The child sex offender, who had prior convictions in 1983 and 1993, was arrested in Moultrie County on charges of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, criminal sexual assault, and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Carroll later posted bond and has been on the run ever since.
According to the U.S. Marshals’ Service, the last confirmed sighting of Carroll was in 2012 in Branson, Missouri in a park. Carroll is known to have used the aliases of James Buzzard or James Butler. He is a carpenter by trade and specializes in trim finishing. He also has been known to sell handmade origami and stained glass. He has family members in the Peoria and Mount Vernon areas. Investigators believe he may be hiding out in homeless camps in Springfield, Missouri.
Carroll is a white male, standing 5’7″ and weighing about 240 pounds. He has brown hair, hazel eyes, a birthmark/discoloration on his abdomen and scars on his right finger and left wrist. He has tattoos of a red heart with the name “Joanne” and of a family tree with family members’ initials on the branches.
Anyone with information can contact the U.S. Marshals Service tip line at 1-877-926-8332 or call or send a tip to your local Crime Stoppers.