Convicted Sex Offender Caught Operating State Fair Ride

A convicted sex offender was caught operating a children's ride at the Oklahoma State Fair.

An anonymous tip led police to arrest 45-year-old William Chase.

According to court documents, Chase arrived in Oklahoma City on Sept. 10 and failed to register with the state.

When officers made contact with Chase, they discovered he was operating a ride. According to State Fair officials, Chase was not operating a ride located in the children area. He was operating a ride located in the main carnival area. 

As investigators looked further into Chase's record, they found he had failed to register in several other states in which he had spent an extended period of time.

Officers then placed Chase under arrest. He was booked into the Oklahoma County Jail. Details of his bond are not known at this time.

State Fair officials released the following statement regarding the arrest:

"We promptly asked our longtime carnival company to review its employment procedures and practices to determine what happened after we learned of the situation last night. In a meeting last night with the head of the carnival company, we firmly expressed our disappointment and made it abundantly clear we will not tolerate any careless hiring practices. Our stance is clear at the Oklahoma State Fair. We expect every concessionaire, operator and exhibitor to follow the law and our rules to ensure our guests have the safest and best experience possible."