URBANA – A convicted sex offender was found to be sheltering himself at a campus library.

University of Illinois police Lt. Roy Acree said Eric J. Kaminski, 21, who gave a Champaign address, was discovered about 2:30 a.m. Thursday at the Undergraduate Library, 1402 W. Gregory Drive, U.

A few days earlier, a security guard found a blanket and some property, including some items stolen from the library, Acree said.

Police found Kaminski and determined he had been staying in the library, the lieutenant said.

Library security believes Kaminski had been living in the library behind movable bookshelves in the northeast corner of the building, Acree said.

Police seized a bag containing audiovisual cables and a signal-splitter. A folding knife with a 3-inch blade and a sex offender registration form with Kaminski's name also were found in Kaminski's possession, Acree said.

Kaminski was convicted of a sex crime in Michigan, the lieutenant said.

Champaign County court records show Kaminiski was arrested by Champaign police and pleaded guilty in June to a felony charge of failure to register as a sex offender. On June 19, Kaminski was sentenced to two years of probation, according to court records. Acree said it is not uncommon for homeless people to use campus buildings.

"When the weather starts getting colder, they will start looking for shelter," Acree said. "It's a big campus with a lot of buildings with nooks and crannies. Homeless people will sleep overnight."