A known Level 3 sex offender was spotted lingering near young women at the Port Angeles Farmers Market—hours later, he was booked into jail for assault. One local woman recognized him, alerted others, and took action. Most bystanders didn’t even know how to look up his record. Here’s how you can—and why you absolutely should.
On Saturday, a CC Watchdog subscriber sent a message after leaving a local business in downtown Port Angeles. What she saw disturbed her—and should disturb all of us:
“So today when I came out of [business redacted] (near the transit center) to stroll through the market, Level 3 sex offender Lonnie Priester was hanging around, looking pretty tweaked out. Not surprising—he’s been hanging around the Safeway and the Judge Coughenour dope spots lately. I took some time to show some young women and some serious grandpa-looking men his mugshot and registry info. After I let the market managers know, one of them kept an eye on him until he left the area.
I was surprised how many people asked me, ‘How did you find that info?’ It’s public. I still nanny sometimes, so I check the registry regularly. Maybe you could share how others can do that too?”
Good question. And frankly, I didn’t know the answer—until now. She walked me through it, and what I found shocked me.
This isn’t about fearmongering. It’s about staying informed, staying alert, and protecting your community when systems fail to.
We’ve watched a revolving door at the Clallam County jail lately. A suspected hit-and-run driver? Released. A suspected sex trafficker? Released. A man involved in a fatal assault on an elderly artist? Released.
When the system stops doing its job, we have to do ours.
How to look up registered sex offenders in Washington State
Start here:
👉 https://www.waspc.org/sex-offender-information
Click “Washington Sex Offender Public Registry.”
Then “Click Here To Search For Offenders In Your Area.”
Enter your address.
You’ll see a map with markers for nearby registered offenders.
You can also search by name. Type in Priester, Lonnie and you’ll find this:
Age: 44
Height: 6’3”
Race: Black
Tattoos listed
Residence: Sequim
Convictions:
Assault in the 3rd Degree with Sexual Motivation (2017)
Communicating with a Minor for Immoral Purposes (2017)
Failure to Register as a Sex Offender
You can also search by city—just type in “Port Angeles” (no “WA”).
As of today, there are 28 registered sex offenders in Port Angeles. Some have addresses. Others are listed as transient—which means they have no fixed address and may be moving around the community freely.
What about levels I, II, and III?
Here’s what the City of Sequim and Washington State law say:
🔹 Level I Sex Offenders
Least likely to reoffend.
Information is not made public unless you’re a victim, a witness, or live directly near their residence.
You must request information from police and meet legal criteria.
🔹 Level II Sex Offenders
Moderate risk.
Information may be shared with:
Schools
Child care centers
Women’s shelters
Vulnerable adult facilities
Neighbors near the offender’s known address
But general public notification is still not allowed.
🔹 Level III Sex Offenders
Highest risk of reoffending.
Public notification is allowed.
Law enforcement may choose to inform the community—but often doesn’t.
You might think this is shaming… but it’s not
Some will read this and say the CC Watchdog subscriber was being dramatic. Overreacting. Shaming. Spreading fear. Here’s what happened less than 24 hours later:
Lonnie Priester—yes, that same Level 3 sex offender seen loitering near young women at the market—was booked into Clallam County Jail for 4th Degree Assault.
This isn’t fearmongering. It’s a reality check.
Information is a weapon. Use it.
Don’t wait for the sheriff’s office to notify you. Don’t assume someone else is watching.
Sometimes the difference between someone getting hurt and someone getting home safe is you stepping in. Like our subscriber did. She didn’t just walk through the Farmer’s Market. She saw something and did something.
You can too.
Start here:
🔗 https://www.waspc.org/sex-offender-information
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