The Marion County Sheriff’s Office arrested an Ocala man while he was working at a McDonald’s drive-through after detectives said he failed to comply with sex offender registration requirements.
Caleb Jamal Thomas, 26, was taken into custody July 16 at the McDonald’s on West Silver Springs Boulevard, where deputies said he was on duty. He later surrendered formally to the Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender Unit on Aug. 25. Thomas faces three felony charges: failure to report changes to a cell phone number, failure to report changes to employment, and failure to register as required. He is being held without bond.
According to the arrest affidavit, Thomas was convicted in Lake County in January 2024 of lewd and lascivious battery and lewd and lascivious molestation on a child between 12 and 16 years old. Those convictions required him to register as a sexual offender in Florida.
Detectives said Thomas had registered multiple times since 2024 and signed forms acknowledging he understood the requirements, which include reporting any changes to phone numbers and employment within 48 hours. Investigators said he began working at the McDonald’s earlier in July without notifying the Sheriff’s Office and had also been using a cell phone number not registered with authorities.
Sheriff’s Office records also show Thomas has other pending cases, including nine counts of possession of child pornography filed in May, along with previous charges of failing to comply with sex offender requirements.
