Last Friday around noon, Richmond Police responded to Lake Reba, in regard to what was described as a “suspicious incident.”
Officers say when they arrived, they spoke to two mothers supervising children at the park. The two women gave officers a physical description of a white male in the area of the playground who did not have any children or another adult accompanying him.
They stated the man appeared to be using his phone near the playground area, and his actions caused the two mothers to be on high alert. The two mothers gave the officer a description of the vehicle the man was operating and his license plate number.
Based on the information obtained, officers identified the male as Nathaniel Lee Sparks (38) of Irvine. Mr. Sparks is a registered sex offender on the Kentucky Sex Offender Registry and is prohibited from being on the property of a publicly owned or leased playground.
Yesterday, with the assistance of the Kentucky State Police, Mr. Sparks was taken into custody at his residence in Irvine. Mr. Sparks was transported to the Richmond Police Department, where he was arrested and charged with violating KRS 17.545 (2) Registrant Prohibited from Residing or Being Present in Certain Areas (playground). Due to Mr. Sparks being previously charged with the same offense in Powell County in April 2022, any subsequent offense is considered a Class D Felony. Mr. Sparks was lodged in the Madison County Detention Center.
Richmond police commended the two mothers for their vigilance and for following the recommended rule of “If you see something, say something.”
Anyone wishing to report suspicious activity at any of our parks, please call 859-624-4776.
