MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Two registered violent sex offenders were arrested at a Raleigh McDonald’s after police say they were found watching children at the playground.
A manager at the McDonald’s on Austin Peay Highway near Yale Road called police Saturday afternoon after receiving a tip that a known sex offender was “staring at kids playing” on the restaurant’s indoor playground, according to an arrest affidavit.
When officers arrived, they found Robert Collier, 26, and Morris Johnson, 51, sitting near the playground where three children were playing.
Court records show the restaurant manager told police Collier had been caught on camera in the playground area the day before.
“That’s infuriating. That’s infuriating and it’s sick,” father of three Antron Jones said. “They should have a tighter leash on these people to know where they’re at. You know, they GPS these little guys for doing these little crimes, they should GPS them permanently.”
“That’s very scary as a mother,” Cynthia Bailey said. “Not only children, but women, anybody. You never know how they think.”
According the state, Johnson was added to the sex offender registry in 2003 for attempted sexual battery, and was convicted of three other sex crimes against children dating back to 1988.
Collier was also added to the sex offender registry in May of 2018 for attempted sexual battery after exposing himselfexposing himself to an 11-year-old boy and trying to force the child to touch him inappropriately in the Macy’s bathroom at Wolfchase Galleria.
At the time, Collier’s mom defended him.
“It’s real hard. That’s not my son. He didn’t do that. He didn’t do it,” Allison Collier said.
Court records show Collier pleaded guilty to two charges and was sentenced to a suspended prison term and probation last month.
According to the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry, he’s also been convicted of indecent exposure three times.
“It’s ridiculous,” Jones said. “We gotta really tighten up on these laws.”
Parents WREG spoke to Sunday are outraged and disturbed both men were allowed to roam the streets and offend again.
“We should have stricter sentencing on these sex offenders and these sex crimes,” Jones said. “It don’t make sense. They’re able to get right back out and go back to doing what they were doing? We know they’re not changing. I mean, hell, after the first time, we know what he about.”
Police haven’t said how Collier and Johnson know each other or why they were at that McDonalds together.
Both men are charged with violating the sex offender registry law by being within 1,000 feet of a playground where children were present.
