Charles Eric Waugh, the registered sex offender at the center of a bizarre story first reported by SB Nation's Land-Grant Holy Land involving Ohio State football, social media and a decommitted recruit, has been arrested.
On May 4, linebacker Alex Anzalone decommitted from Ohio State. Before decommitting, Anzalone was at the Ohio State spring football game and probably posed for multiple pictures with multiple fans. At the time, he probably didn't think anything of any of them.
As it turned out, he posed for a picture with Waugh, an Ohio State fan who happens to be a registered sex offender. In 2007, he pleaded guilty to possession of matter portraying sexual performances by minors, and he was put on probation. On April 30, Land-Grant Holy Land reported he tweeted inspirational messages at over 100 Ohio State players, staff and recruits. Some of the people he tweeted at were under the age of 18, and using social media to contact minors is a violation of Waugh's parole. Here are the details, from Land-Grant Holy Land.
Waugh was formally booked in the Boyd County Detention Center on one count of probation violation and another for failing to comply with the sexual offender registration.
Waugh could still additionally face a Class A misdemeanor for his use of social networks with members under the age of 18 and coupled with the two other charges should turn into prison time (particularly considering that he was previously allowed to avoid any for agreeing to the probation in the first place).
The unfortunate reality of this situation is that there was little to nothing Ohio State could have done to prevent it. It's not practical for them to screen everyone who shows up to a football game, nor is it possible to pre-screen and preemptively block shady characters on Twitter.
For more on Buckeyes football, visit Ohio State blog Land-Grant Holy Land, plus Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire and SB Nation Cleveland.