NORFOLK, Va. — A federal judge in Norfolk has found James Dion Palmer, 56, guilty on two counts of failing to register as a sex offender, after a series of unauthorized cross-country and international trips that ended with him illegally entering Canada.
Palmer, who was convicted of rape in Henrico County back in 2001, has been required to register for life under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). That law requires sex offenders to report planned travel and maintain current registration.
Disappearing Act Began with Flight to California
According to trial evidence, Palmer left Virginia without informing authorities, flying from Norfolk to San Francisco on February 28, 2021. A few days later, he moved north to Washington state. By March 4, his GPS ankle monitor had gone dead. Even before it stopped transmitting, his probation officer had warned him he was in violation and told him to register in California.
He didn’t.
Fake Paperwork and a Border Jump
Palmer tried to make it look like he had transferred his probation supervision by submitting paperwork to Virginia State Police on Halloween 2021. But that form listed his probation officer’s name without approval, and officials say it was entirely unauthorized.
Two weeks later, on November 16, Canadian Border Patrol found Palmer in Vancouver. He hadn’t gone through any official border checkpoint—and again, he hadn’t told his probation officer about the international travel or received permission to go.
Sentencing Still to Come
Palmer now faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set