Joshua Kahanek, a 44-year-old man from Oklahoma, was sentenced in Mobile, Alabama after pleading guilty to failing to register as a sex offender. Kahanek had previously been convicted of first-degree rape in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2008 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was released on April 11, 2022.
Court documents show that after his release, Kahanek acknowledged his responsibility to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). He signed multiple forms with his SORNA officer in Oklahoma between 2022 and 2024, confirming he understood his duty to register in any jurisdiction where he was employed.
On June 7, 2024, local law enforcement agencies received information that Kahanek was present in the Southern District of Alabama. The Mobile Police Department found him working at a Target store as part of a company installing fiber optic cables. Authorities determined that he had not registered as a sex offender in Alabama.
Chief United States District Judge Beaverstock sentenced Kahanek to time served and imposed a five-year term of supervised release. Kahanek had been held since his arrest on March 6, 2025. During his supervised release, he will be required to undergo sex offender treatment, substance abuse testing and treatment, and mental health treatment. He must also continue registering as a sex offender and pay $100 in special assessments.
The investigation involved the United States Marshals Service, Foley Police Department, Mobile Police Department, and Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse by coordinating federal, state, and local resources for investigation and prosecution. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc; resources for Internet safety education are available at https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources.
