Paoli Residents Uneasy About Sex Offender Working In Town

People in the small town of Paoli say they have a big problem with a new business in town.

Longtime resident, Melinda Martin describes the town as small.

“Not very big,” said Martin. “I think it’s six, seven hundred people maybe.”

Number of food trucks? Just one.

It opened this earlier summer, and is owned by Jeremy Sumner.

“It was a big deal, everyone wanted to go down there and then we found out some minor details about him,” Martin said.

A minor detail that is causing major problems in the town.

It dates back to 2014, when Sumner was caught in Canadian County in an underage sex sting.

Sumner was arrested after contacting a deputy posing a 14-year-old girl online, soliciting sex.

Sumner’s food truck sits on his father’s property, and it’s just over 580 feet from the nearest school and park — all within state regulation, according Paoli police Chief Mike Lewis.

News 9 asked Lewis about how close a sex offender can live to a school.

“If they’re living there, it’s a thousand feet, if I’m not mistaken,” he said.

But Sumner lives in nearby Stratford and only works in Paoli.

“As far as I can tell he’s not in violation of anything,” Lewis said.

According to Lewis, sex offenders must work at least 500 feet away from a school or park.

And even though Sumner is within those guidelines, parents are still upset.

“I have been asked by several people to run him out of town. Well, I mean, I can’t do that unless he violates the law,” he said.

Those people say they don’t want to wait for that to happen.

Martin said her message to Sumner is clear.

“Get out of Paoli. You’re disgusting. Or at least move your business way out in the country away from the school, it’s very uncomforting,” she said.

Sumner didn't want to speak on camera, but his family told News 9 he does not work there by himself and a separate adult handles all transactions with children.