COCOA, Fla. – According to police, 32-year-old Jeriod Goodman went missing from his home on Lake Drive in Cocoa on Saturday.
Major Tod Goodyear with the Brevard County Sheriff's Office said Goodman, a registered sexual predator, cut off his court ordered GPS monitoring device, left it in the bathroom and fled.
"With a sex offense in the past, and being upgraded to predator, it is very concerning to us," said Goodyear.
Deputies said Goodman is on probation and was released from the Brevard County jail in February. He was sentenced to serve eight years in prison for lewd and lascivious battery on a child.
Goodyear said, "The possibility does exist that as a sexual offender, he could possibly engage in that same type of activity, and we don't want that to happen."
According to records, Goodman also has a prior conviction of lewd and lascivious battery on a child in Polk County in 2002. One neighbor said, "If he cut off his bracelet, he's not wanting to be monitored. I mean, obviously he's got something to hide, you would think."
Police believe Goodman is staying with somebody he knows in the Cocoa area. He was last seen wearing a white shirt, blue jean shorts and white sneakers.
Although neighbors are concerned he is missing, they are optimistic that police will track him down.
"He couldn't have gone far. He's chopped that thing off and any friends he does have are going to help him for a minute, and then police are going to catch him all over again," said Dylan Dennis, who lives a couple doors down from Goodman.
The trailer park where Goodman lives is no stranger to sexual offenders. According to public records, 22 sexual offenders live there and 55 live within a one mile radius.
Contact Brevard County Sheriff's Office at 321-633-8407 or CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS if you have any information on Goodman's whereabouts.