A Texas man deemed sexually violent that was arrested for allegedly absconding in Pike County last month has been indicted in federal court for failing to register as a sex offender after crossing multiple states.
62 year old Robert W. Niffen of Houston, Texas was arrested on a bicycle by Pike County Sheriff’s Deputies in Barry on June 12th after approaching several minors and a caller reported the suspicious behavior to authorities.
Niffen was on parole from the Texas Department of Corrections for an aggravated rape conviction and was deemed a violent sex offender absconder. Pike County authorities also said at the time that Niffen had a lengthy criminal history including escape from a penal institution.
According to federal court records, Niffen was taken from the custody of the Pike County Jail by U.S. Marshals on July 20th. Magistrate Judge Karen L. McNaught held a video conference with Niffen and defense counsel Thursday ordering him to be detained in federal custody pending a trial.
An initial pre-trial conference has been set for August 24th with a jury trial scheduled for September 6th. If convicted, Niffen faces the possibility of fines and up to 10 years in prison.