Police: Man Fails to Register as a Sex Offender

Lower Southampton caught an out-of-state man Monday who failed to register as a sex offender in Pennsylvania, according to a police report.

Police initially made contact with Edward Paneto, 40, after responding to Select Jewelers on a report of a subject attempting to pawn women's jewelry.

According to the police report, Paneto was in the store with a woman who later told police that she did not know Paneto, but was in the store with him because he asked her to join him.

Police told Paneto that he was suspected of pawning stolen jewelry. After checking Paneto for warrants, it was discovered that he was a sex offender out of New York. Pennsylvania State Police reported that Paneto had failed to report his status in PA and that he should be arrested.

Lower Southampton Police took Paneto into custody for failure to register as a sex offender. Judge Leonard Brown in Bensalem sent Paneto to Bucks County Prison in lieu of $150,000 bail, according to the police report.

Paneto told police that he lived in an apartment in the , however Croftwood management reported that Paneto is not listed as living there. The resident of the apartment number Paneto used as his own said that he did not live there and that the rings he was allegedly attempting to pawn were stolen from her.