Spring Hill Sex Offender Arrested for Failing to Report New Vehicle

Benjamin Roman, 61, a registered sexual offender living in Spring Hill, was arrested March 13, 2026 after investigators say he failed to notify authorities about a vehicle added to his household within the 48-hour window Florida law requires of registered sex offenders.

Under Florida's sex offender registration rules, any vehicle associated with an offender's household must be reported to authorities within 48 hours of its arrival. Roman's alleged failure to meet that deadline triggered his arrest, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. Specific charges, booking details, and bond status had not been released as of publication.

The case is the latest in a pattern of registration enforcement actions the Hernando County Sheriff's Office has pursued against sex offenders living in Spring Hill. A previous case illustrates how serious the courts have treated such violations locally: Kent Baker, born October 9, 1967, was arrested October 3, 2024 after investigators found he had failed to report losing his job at the McDonald's on 2350 Commercial Way in Spring Hill, failed to update vehicle information, and was operating two unauthorized social media accounts. Two additional vehicles belonging to people who had lived at his residence for more than five consecutive days were also found unreported, a separate violation of the 48-hour rule. Baker was convicted November 6, 2025 and sentenced to five years in the Florida Department of Corrections.

Florida's registration system, administered through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Sexual Offender Profile System, imposes ongoing and specific obligations on designated offenders, covering not just addresses but employment changes, vehicle additions, and internet identifiers. Failing to report any of those changes, or knowingly providing false information by act or omission, constitutes a criminal offense under state law.

A third Spring Hill case underscores the breadth of the sheriff's monitoring efforts: Edward Lee Powell, 55, was arrested April 11, 2025, after Detective G. Marcacci located him at an address off Essex Lane in Spring Hill. Powell, who had been living in Ohio, returned to Florida without updating his registration. He was charged with one count of failure to re-register bi-annually and held without bond at the Hernando County Detention Center.

Anyone with information on the Roman case can contact Hernando County Crime Stoppers anonymously or reach the Sheriff's Office at 352-754-6830.