Authorities said a Rowan County man who was arrested a month ago for failing to notify of an address change by a registered sex offender was living near an elementary school, which is a violation of the registry.
Matthew Damian Parham, 23, was charged this week, after Rowan County Sheriff’s officials discovered him on Aug. 1 living within 778 feet of Bostian Elementary School in China Grove.
A woman who said she was his wife, Cynthia, told deputies they’d lived at the Morrow Road address with their children for about two weeks.
Parham was also charged at that time with failure to notify of address change by a registered sex offender and interfering with an electronic monitoring device.
He’d been placed on the county’s most wanted list in July after he removed his electronic monitoring device.
Authorities said Parham molested a 13-year-old girl in 2011. He was charged in 2012, just a month after law enforcement say he threw trash cans and concrete blocks off overpasses, on several occasions damaging several cars in the process. He was convicted in 2013 in both cases.
Rowan officials linked Parham to two incidents involving the theft of lawn mowers. On June 28, investigators obtained warrants for Parham. The next day was when deputies determined Parham cut off his monitoring device.
Parham was accused in March of tailgating an off-duty Rowan Sheriff’s deputy who was in his personal vehicle with his young child. When the deputy stopped at a light, Parham jumped out, pulled out a knife and tried to open the door. The deputy pulled out his handgun and informed Parham he was an off-duty officer.
He remains in the Rowan County Detention Center.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.