SUMNER — A registered sex offender previously convicted of lascivious acts with a child is facing a new criminal charge after Bremer County authorities investigated a reported violation at the Sumner Public Library.
Phillip Matthew Hamby (pictured at top), a Sumner resident identified as 41 years old in the sheriff’s report, was arrested July 24, 2026, and charged with sex offender area/activity violation, first offense, an aggravated misdemeanor.
The Bremer County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to the library on July 24 following a report of a possible sex offender violation. An investigation at the scene resulted in Hamby’s arrest.
The allegation follows a previous criminal prosecution involving sex offender restrictions in Chickasaw County in January 2025, as well as Hamby’s earlier conviction for a sexual offense involving children.
Previous sex crime conviction involved young girls
According to the Iowa Sex Offender Registry, Hamby was convicted October 18, 2017, in Bremer County of lascivious acts with a child under Iowa Code 709.8. Registry information identifies two female victims in the 0-to-13 age category. No weapon was listed in connection with the offense.
Iowa Code 692A.113 generally prohibits registered sex offenders convicted of offenses involving minors from entering public library property without written permission from the library administrator and from loitering within 300 feet of library property, subject to statutory exceptions.
Authorities have not publicly detailed the specific circumstances leading to Hamby’s arrest. The available sheriff’s report does not establish whether children were present, whether Hamby entered the building or whether he had written permission to be on library property.
Earlier sex offender restriction charge reduced to trespass
Court records show Hamby was previously prosecuted in Chickasaw County following an alleged sex offender area/activity violation dated January 6, 2025. The original charge was a first-offense aggravated misdemeanor.
Hamby entered a negotiated guilty plea in March 2025, with the charge amended to trespass, first offense, classified as a scheduled violation. The case was resolved March 17, 2025.
The court imposed a $500 fine, a $75 surcharge and $100 in court costs. Financial records supplied for that case list $675 owing with no payments reflected as of the record provided.
The earlier case resulted in a plea to trespass, not a conviction on the original sex offender restriction charge.
Booked into Bremer County Jail after library arrest
Custody records show Hamby was booked into the Bremer County Jail in Waverly on July 29, 2026, at 9:42 p.m., with his custody status recorded as in custody at 9:55 p.m.
The jail record listed a scheduled release of August 8, 2026, at 9:30 p.m. However, court records show a surety bond was posted July 31. His initial bond was set at $2,000 cash or surety.
The bond posting does not establish the exact time he physically left jail, and his current custody status has not been confirmed.
Jury trial scheduled for November
Hamby entered a written plea of not guilty and waived his right to a speedy trial. A pretrial conference is scheduled for October 27, 2026, at 1:30 p.m., followed by a jury trial November 5 at 9 a.m.
Attorney Andrew Carl Abbott entered an appearance in September after Hamby’s previous attorney withdrew.
The charge is an aggravated misdemeanor. Under Iowa law, an aggravated misdemeanor conviction can carry up to two years of confinement, along with applicable fines.
Hamby has not been convicted of the July 2026 allegation and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.