RENSSELAERVILLE — The Albany County Sheriff’s Department has notified residents of Rensselaerville that a Level 3 sex offender—the highest risk—is living in town.

According to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Ernest J. Remson, 47, of 520 Travis Hill Road, Preston Hollow, was convicted in 1992 of the first-degree sexual assault of a seven-year-old girl. Remson was arrested by the North Castle Town Police Department and received a sentence of five years’ probation under the supervision of the Westchester County Department of Probation, the Division of Criminal Justice Services says.

According to a 1996 New York law, information about high-risk sex offenders must be made public. All sex offenders must register with the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services. Community notification for Level 3 offenders can happen in four ways. A directory of Level 3 offenders is available at local law-enforcement agencies. A registry, which can be accessed by phone or Internet, is maintained by the DCJS. And, local law enforcement agencies are notified when a sex offender moves into their jurisdiction.

The law-enforcement agency may, in turn, disseminate relevant information to any entity with vulnerable populations.

Senior Investigator Michael Monteleone, who oversees the sex-offender registry for the Albany County Sheriff’s Department, told The Enterprise the department would not comment beyond the information on the notice.
The notice says Remson was not a stranger to the victim and made "actual sexual contact" with her. It describes Remson as 5 feet, 9 inches tall, 185 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, and scars on his right arm and an elbow.

Rensselaerville town clerk Kathleen Hallenbeck told those in attendance at a town board meeting last week that the town received notification about Remson about a month ago. She said the town posted notices at the town hall and the town park.

Remson could not be reached for comment.