The Fort Collins Police Department is investigating after a man failing to register as a sex offender was found in possession of children’s underwear.

Sidney Hines, 53, is legally required to register as a sex offender after he was convicted in 2007 of aggravated incest and sexual assault on a child while in a position of trust.

Police said they recently arrested Hines and charged him with failing to register and, during the arrest, found a pair of children’s underwear. While not illegal, this discovery raised concerns that Hines might have had inappropriate contact with a child.

“This was a disturbing situation without a clear explanation,” said Assistant Chief Tim Doran. “We encourage parents to have age-appropriate family discussions about personal safety and contact police if they believe this clothing might belong to their child or if their child may have interacted with Hines.”

Police said the Justice brand underwear doesn’t appear to be new. The underwear is designed for tween/young girls, and police are working to figure out where the underwear came from.

Hines was booked into the Larimer County Jail but has since been released on a cash bond, police said.

Anyone with information about the owner of the underwear or any potential inappropriate interactions with Hines is asked to call Detective Tessa Jakobsson at 970-221-6575.