Wanted sex offender accused of dealing meth

RURAL MASON CITY – A man who’s been behind bars for serious crimes was located by police and accused of dealing methamphetamine.

Cerro Gordo deputies executed a search warrant at house in rural Mason City Monday night, November 21. Deputies arrived at 15186 300th Street, owned by Steven and Dana Peterson at about 10:37 PM and encountered 55-year-old convicted sex offender Mark Monroe Hoffman. After an investigation, Hoffman was charged with violation of the state’s sex offender registry, disorderly conduct, possession with intent to deliver meth and 3rd offense possession of marijuana.

Hoffman was taken to the Cerro Gordo county jail, where he remains held on these charges as he awaits court dates next month.

Mark Hoffman is listed as a tier 3 sex offender on the Iowa State Sex Offender Registry stemming from an incident that started in a bar parking lot in Mason City in August of 1995. Kenneth Sharp and Mark Hoffman both where arrested that August for 1st degree kidnapping and raping of an adult female at knife point. Before Hoffman’s trial he entered a voluntary guilty plea, instead pleading guilty to a lesser crime of aiding and abetting sexual abuse 3rd degree, receiving a 10 year prison sentence.

Most recently, Hoffman was left alone with two young boys in his garage by the children’s mother. Hoffman was accused of violating the state’s sex offender registry on September 21, 2014, after police went to his house and he ran from deputies. An investigation showed that a woman, Jaime Lynn Peterson, age 32, was at Hoffman’s house with her children that day.  She was arrested along with Hoffman and charged with two counts of child endangerment for leaving her three-year-old son and five-year-old son alone in the garage with Hoffman.  Peterson later pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment, while the other was dismissed.  She was sent to jail and put on probation.