Grand Rivers tourism director charged with violating sex offender registry | News | #childpredator | #kidsaftey | #childsaftey

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office and Kentucky State Police each said McDonald violated the registry in 2022 when he allegedly assisted with his wife’s cotton candy business, Cotton Candy Creations, at school-sanctioned events and in public parks that had playgrounds in them in Lyon and Marshall counties.

In a citation obtained from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Matt Hilbrecht wrote about McDonald: “The defendant is on a routine bases (sic) putting himself in situations to have contact with juveniles, and has persistently violated the sex offender registry guidelines.”

McDonald will be in court twice in the next two weeks on those alleged violations.

WPSD Local 6 talked to McDonald last Friday about a river cruise line coming to Grand Rivers. Shortly after the story aired, viewers called and left messages regarding his previous conviction dealing with child sex abuse charges and more recent accusations of violating sex offender registry restrictions.

A Local 6 crew tried to talk with McDonald on Monday at his office at the Grand Rivers Tourism Center. When McDonald saw the crew pull into the parking lot, he locked the door and did not answer the office phone, which the crew could hear ringing inside the building. That was shortly before 3:30 p.m. and the center closes at 4 p.m.

Not long after that, Grand Rivers Mayor Tom Moodie arrived, driving a golf cart, and identified himself as McDonald’s dad. He told the crew that McDonald called him because he didn’t know what to do.

Moodie explained the Grand Rivers Tourism Commission Board hired McDonald, did a background check and was aware of McDonald’s status as a lifetime sex offender registrant. When asked, “If a person came and you did a background check on them and they were on the sex offender list, would they still be considered?” Moodie answered, “Probably, yeah.”

“But, but it’s just like I said. We, when you look at something like that, you need to look at the background. You need to look at what caused that situation, what kind, what that was, what was the history of that? Not just take somebody’s word for that,” Moodie said.

Moodie claimed an attorney convinced McDonald to take an Alford plea and a change in law resulted in McDonald being on the registry for life rather than 10 years. In an Alford plea, a criminal defendant acknowledges that prosecutors have significant evidence against him or her, but does not admit to committing the crime.

The mayor declined to share any court documents related to this case with WPSD Local 6.

Throughout the interview, Moodie referred to McDonald as “the best man” he’s ever known. When asked if his love of his son could be clouding his judgement, Moodie said “absolutely not.” Moodie also said McDonald has never attempted to appeal his convictions.

According to Moodie, the Grand Rivers Tourism Commission is responsible for hiring McDonald. When asked if his own position as mayor influenced the board’s decision to hire McDonald, Moodie said it it didn’t, because he “didn’t even know they were hiring him.”

“We’re not ashamed of it. He’s the best tourism director we’ve ever had,” Moodie said.

McDonald is due to appear in court Aug. 9 and Aug. 14 for pre-trial conferences.