CASSOPOLIS — A 26-year-old Niles woman was sentenced Friday to a year in jail for failing to register as a sex offender when switching addresses in April.

Rikki Walls was living at the Gateway Apartments in Edwardsburg, but didn’t register her new address when moving to the 70000 block of Fir Road in Niles. At the time, Walls was on probation for a methamphetamine conviction.

Her attorney, Dale Blunier, said Walls didn’t register because she was afraid of testing positive and violating her probation.

“She’s an addict … she needs help your honor,” Blunier said.

Walls is required to register as a sex offender because she was convicted in 2006 of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. Although Walls was convicted in 2006, Blunier said the offense occurred five years earlier when Walls was 15 and the victim 14.

Walls has now been convicted twice of failing to register as a sex offender.

According to sentencing guidelines, Walls was to serve 19 to 38 months in prison.

Dodge gave her a sentence well below the guidelines.

“The court deviates because guidelines give undue weight to your prior record,” Dodge said. “The nature of your offense, in the court’s opinion, does not require a prison term because it did not involve further sexual offenses … rather you simply failed to comply with the registration requirement.”

Walls received credit for 75 days served.