May 12, 2009 09:42 pm
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Staff report
THOMASVILLE — A Grady County sex offender who “was attempting to evade detection by law enforcement” in a recreational vehicle was recently corralled at a nudist campground in Arizona, officials said Tuesday.
Carl Edmund Burbridge, 73, was apprehended in Bisbee, Ariz., last week, Lt. Steve Clark, chief investigator for Grady County Sheriff’s Office, said.
“He was arrested in late 2008 in Whigham for electronically furnishing obscene material to a minor, child molestation and various other related charges of sexual misconduct,” Clark said.
Burbridge was indicted by a Grady County grand jury in March, but failed to make his arraignment. A bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
Toward the end of April, Clark said, authorities realized he had left Whigham and an investigation was opened to find him.
Authorities learned he had purchased an RV and the U.S. Marshals service assisted authorities in tracking Burbridge from Bainbridge to the nudist campground, where they coordinated with the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office in arresting the suspect.
Clark said Burbridge was living under an assumed name, but was not ready to divulge that information as he is still working on the case.
He also said the man was using the Florida tag registered to the previous owners of the RV to evade detection by law enforcement.
Burbridge is being held in Cochise County, Clark said. The local district attorney’s office is working on extradition back to Grady County.
Clark said the man faces a bench warrant charge and other charges may be pending.
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