MASON CITY — A convicted North Iowa sex offender was arrested Friday evening by Mason City police on an out-of-jurisdiction warrant, adding another law enforcement encounter to a record that includes a felony sexual abuse conviction and a later probation violation.
Joseph Dele’on Starry (pictured at top) was arrested at 7:15 p.m. on June 12, 2026, after Mason City police conducted an officer check, according to police records.
Police listed the arrest as an out-of-jurisdiction warrant. Further details about the warrant, including the issuing county and underlying case, were not included in the initial police information provided.
Starry’s name is already tied to a serious Cerro Gordo County criminal case.
Court records show Starry was convicted in 2017 of third-degree sexual abuse, a Class C felony, in Cerro Gordo County case FECR026157.
The charge stemmed from a January 29, 2017, offense. Court records show Starry entered a negotiated guilty plea to third-degree sexual abuse on September 11, 2017.
Judge Colleen D. Weiland sentenced Starry to a 10-year prison term, but the prison sentence was suspended. Starry was placed on probation for three to five years with the Department of Correctional Services.
The sentence also required Starry to complete sex offender programming, register as a sex offender and provide a DNA sample. Court records show a $1,000 fine was imposed but suspended, and Starry was ordered to pay a $250 civil penalty tied to the sex offender conviction.
Starry later violated probation in that case.
Court records show a probation violation was filed with an offense date of October 9, 2019. Starry entered a negotiated guilty plea to the probation violation on December 17, 2019, and Judge James M. Drew sentenced him to 10 days in jail.
Mason City police previously arrested Starry in the original sexual abuse case in April 2017 after a nationwide warrant was issued. NorthIowaToday.com reported at the time that Starry, then 19, was arrested at his Mason City home after being accused of felony third-degree sexual abuse.
Read NIT’s original 2017 report on Starry’s sexual abuse arrest here.
The latest arrest Friday night did not include new local charges in the initial police listing, but it placed Starry back in custody on a warrant from outside Mason City jurisdiction.
A criminal charge or warrant is merely an accusation unless proven in court. Starry is presumed innocent on any new pending matter unless and until proven guilty.