Larry Nassar Removed From Michigan Sex Offender Registry
A Michigan Supreme Court ruling led to the removal of thousands of individuals, including the disgraced former gymnastics doctor, from the state's sex offender database.
Disgraced former Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar has been removed from the Michigan Sex Offender Registry. The removal is part of a broader purge of the state's database, affecting more than 20,000 individuals.
Nassar, who served as the national gymnastics team doctor from 1996 to 2014, is currently serving multiple decades-long prison sentences for multiple counts of sexual abuse and child pornography. He used his position to exploit hundreds of young athletes, including Olympic medalists Simone Biles and Aly Raisman.
The Michigan State Police recently removed individuals from the registry whose crimes occurred before July 1, 2011. This action follows a September 9 Michigan Supreme Court ruling that stated amendments to the Sex Offender Registration Act issued in 2021 cannot be retroactively applied to require registration for older incidents.
The Eaton County Prosecutor's Office stated that the Michigan Supreme Court's decision to eliminate Sex Offender Registration Act requirements for these offenders is deeply concerning. The office confirmed Nassar's removal, noting that his conduct occurred before 2011, despite his convictions occurring later.
Nassar admitted to sexually assaulting athletes while working at Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics. He also admitted to possessing child pornography. More than 100 women sought over $1 billion from the federal government, alleging the FBI mishandled allegations against Nassar, which allowed him to continue abusing victims before his arrest.
Nassar was sentenced in federal court in 2017 to 60 years for possessing child sex abuse material. In 2018, he received additional sentences of up to 175 years and up to 125 years in separate Michigan courts for molesting female gymnasts under his care.
In April, the U.S. Justice Department announced a $138.7 million settlement with more than 100 individuals who accused the FBI of mishandling allegations against Nassar in 2015 and 2016. Combined with other settlements, approximately $1 billion has been allocated by various organizations to compensate hundreds of women who claimed Nassar assaulted them under the guise of treating sports injuries. Simone Biles publicly disclosed in January 2018 that she was one of Nassar's victims.