Disgraced former sports physician Larry Nassar has been removed from the Michigan Sex Offender Registry, according to the Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office. The removal is a direct result of a Michigan Supreme Court decision on September 9, which ruled that amendments to the state's Sex Offender Registration Act made in 2021 cannot be applied retroactively to older crimes.
As a consequence of this ruling, individuals whose criminal conduct occurred before July 1, 2011, have been purged from the Michigan State Police database. While Nassar's crimes were not publicly exposed, arrested, or resulted in convictions until years later, the acts themselves technically took place before this 2011 cutoff date. Consequently, he is no longer legally required to be listed on the public registry.
Nassar served as a team physician for USA Gymnastics until 2014 and for Michigan State University until 2016. The investigation into his actions culminated in a national scandal that began to unravel after Rachael Denhollander publicly accused him in September 2016.
During his January 2018 sentencing, numerous victims testified, including Olympic champions Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber. Later, in September 2021, stars like Simone Biles and McKayla Maroney testified before Congress regarding the FBI's handling of the Nassar investigation.
Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, who presided over Nassar's sentencing, described him as "possibly the most prolific serial child sex abuser in history." He was sentenced to multiple lengthy prison terms for his convictions on state sexual assault charges and federal child pornography charges.
The Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office has expressed strong criticism of the removal, with Prosecutor Doug Lloyd noting that while Nassar's convictions occurred after the 2011 deadline, the timing of his conduct created this legal loophole. The office stated that the judicial branch should not be the deciding body on the effectiveness of such registries, suggesting such debates belong in the legislature. Despite his removal from the registry, authorities emphasize that Nassar is currently serving extensive prison sentences, making his release from prison before his death highly unlikely.