A high-risk sex offender who failed to notify law enforcement that he moved has been sentenced to jail.

Bismarck Police Lt. Dan Donlin said Earland McKay, 27, was arrested Friday afternoon at 1008 Portland Drive.

McKay was charged Friday with failure to register as a sex offender, a Class A misdemeanor, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor. He entered guilty pleas to both charges to South Central District Judge Robert Wefald Friday afternoon at the Burleigh County Courthouse.

Burleigh County Assistant State's Attorney Pamela Nesvig recommended McKay be sentenced to six months in jail for the offenses due to his criminal history. She said McKay has a lengthy history, including convictions for corruption of a minor, aggravated assault, terrorizing, attempted violation of a protection order, shoplifting and vandalism.

Failure to register as a sex offender carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 90 days in jail.

Wefald sentenced McKay to one year with six months suspended for failing to register as a sex offender, which will be followed by two years of supervised probation. McKay also will have to pay $325 in court fees for the conviction. Wefald sentenced McKay to 30 days in jail for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police asked for the public's help in locating McKay on Thursday. McKay had been evicted from his apartment at 624 S. Hannifin St. on May 14 after being served an eviction notice on May 9.

Registered sex offenders are required to notify law enforcement within 10 days of a new address. McKay has not notified the Bismarck Police Department of a new address, and police had been unable to locate him.

McKay said the deputy who served him with the eviction notice did not notify him that he would have to register his new address.

"That was a misunderstanding," he said.

Wefald told McKay that the responsibility was not the deputy's and that McKay should have followed the court order to register his address with law enforcement.

McKay was convicted of corruption of a minor in December 2002 in Ramsey County. He was charged with the offense, along with terrorizing, after his girlfriend caught him engaging in sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl. When the girlfriend confronted McKay, he beat her, threatened her with a rifle and fired a shot at her fleeing children.

Donlin said the police department received several tips about McKay's whereabouts following stories in the media requesting information about him.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@;bismarcktribune.com.)