Authorities seek whereabouts of sex offender

HOUSTON Kenneth Painter, 45, was convicted in November of 2008 of criminal solicitation of a minor in a case involving a 16-year-old girl, according to a Crime Stoppers statement. He served his one-year sentence in prison, and upon his release, he was required to register as a sex offender with the Houston Police Department.

Painter had registered his address in the 1800 block of Ruiz in December 2009, but during a routine compliance check, deputies discovered he allegedly hadn't lived there since March 16.

The law requires him to notify HPD of residential address changed seven days before or after relocation. As of March 23, he allegedly had failed to do so.

Painter is now charged with failure to register as a sex offender. He still is believed to be in the Houston area.

He's described as a white man who is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs around 279 pounds. He has light brown hair, hazel eyes and has scars on his left cheek and elbow.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.