Larry Nassar & 20,000 Others Removed From Sex Offender Registry

This is one of those Michigan stories that sounds unbelievable at first, but there's an important legal explanation behind it.

Why Was Larry Nassar Removed From the Registry?

Larry Nassar, the disgraced former Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics physician convicted of sexually abusing numerous girls and young women, has been removed from the Michigan Sex Offender Registry. And before anyone gets the wrong idea, this does NOT mean Nassar is getting out of prison.

WXYZ reports that Nassar is one of more than 20,000 people recently removed from Michigan's Sex Offender Registry following a Michigan Supreme Court ruling involving the state's Sex Offender Registration Act.

What the Michigan Supreme Court Decided

The Supreme Court ruled that changes made to the law in 2021 cannot be applied retroactively to people whose crimes happened before July 1, 2011.

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That's where Nassar comes in. Even though he wasn't arrested or convicted until years later, the conduct for which he was convicted occurred before that 2011 cutoff. Because of that, the state was required to remove him from the public registry according to Fox News.

Nassar Is Still Serving Prison Sentences

Nassar is still serving multiple lengthy prison sentences for his convictions in state and federal court.

He's serving decades behind bars, and the source material notes that it is highly unlikely he will ever be released. His removal from the registry does not erase his convictions or change those prison sentences.

Eaton County Prosecutor Reacts

The Eaton County Prosecutor's Office has strongly criticized Nassar's removal from the registry according to CBS News. The office said the Supreme Court could have interpreted the law differently to keep certain offenders on the public list.

The prosecutor's office also said questions about how effective the sex offender registry is should be debated and decided by lawmakers, rather than the courts.

Nassar's Michigan Connection

Nassar's case became a national scandal after survivors began coming forward. He was a physician for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University. Dozens of victims spoke during his 2018 sentencing, bringing national attention to the case.

So while Larry Nassar's name is no longer on Michigan's public sex offender registry, his criminal convictions and prison sentences remain in place.