Former U.S. women’s gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, a convicted serial sex offender, has been taken off Michigan’s sex offender registry following a recent court ruling.
The Michigan Supreme Court determined that changes made to the Sex Offender Registration Act in 2021 cannot be applied retroactively, meaning individuals convicted of sex offenses prior to July 1, 2011 cannot be required to register. This decision has led to the removal of about 20,000 offenders from the registry, as reported by TMZ.
Even though Nassar used his role to prey on numerous athletes, he is now legally off the list.
A search for his name will yield no results.
The Eaton County prosecutor’s office remarked, “His conduct occurred before 2011 despite his convictions coming after,” as noted by CBS News.
They suggested the Supreme Court might have adopted a different interpretation and allowed some offenders to remain on the list.
While they acknowledged that the effectiveness of such registries is open for debate, they insisted that any changes should originate from the legislature rather than the judiciary.
Prosecutor Doug Lloyd, who is also the Republican nominee for Michigan Attorney General, criticized the ruling in a statement shared on Facebook on September 27.
“My office, the Eaton County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the Eaton County Courts have successfully secured justice by prosecuting many sexual predators,” he stated. “Now, the Supreme Court’s actions will permit some of those individuals to be removed from the Sex Offender Registry upon their release.”
Lloyd went on to say, “County prosecutors in Michigan are dedicated to protecting their communities. Yet, time and time again, the Supreme Court and the legislature hinder our efforts.”
He argued that this situation is unacceptable and called for the people of Michigan to advocate for change.
Nassar, who served as a doctor for the U.S. women’s gymnastics team from 1996 to 2014 and continued at Michigan State University until 2016, exploited his trusted positions to abuse many girls and young women.
Currently, he is serving multiple lengthy prison sentences.
This ruling has raised alarms, as it potentially allows thousands of offenders to disappear from Michigan’s sex offender registry, which may keep the public uninformed about their criminal backgrounds.
