Wanted sex offender caught after stepping out of his Iowa home to watch the solar eclipse

A wanted sex offender has been arrested after he stepped outside to get a better view of the solar eclipse.

Ladarius Martez Blue, from Waterloo, Iowa, was captured as part of an "Operation Most Wanted" search by the state's Fugitive Task Force.

The 26-year-old, who had failed to register as a sex offender in Iowa, had been missing since June, The Gazette reported.

He had admitted to a lascivious act with a child under 13 and was convicted in 2010.

Police set up surveillance on a location where Blue was believed to be hiding.

As the total solar eclipse swept across the US, he stepped outside to get a better view.

Officers were able to "positively identify Blue as he exited a residence in what appeared to be an attempt to observe the solar eclipse" and approached him, when he ran off on foot.

He was captured after a concerned member of the public called police to say they had spotted Blue climbing into a waste container.

Blue was taken to Linn County Correctional Centre and now faces additional charges.