Larry Nassar Was Never on Michigan Sex Offender Registry, Police Say

Michigan State Police have disputed claims that disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar was removed from the state's sex offender registry. Reports earlier this week suggested Nassar had been quietly taken off the list, but authorities have now clarified that he was never on the registry in the first place.

'Information suggesting that convicted sex offender Nassar was removed from the Sex Offender Registry (SOR) by the Michigan State Police (MSP) because of the Smith decision is incorrect,' Lori Dougovito, a spokeswoman for Michigan State Police, told The Detroit News.

In Michigan, only individuals residing in the state are required to register as sex offenders. Nassar is currently incarcerated in federal prison at FCI Lewisburg in Pennsylvania. Police confirmed that he will be entered onto the state's sex offender registry should he be transferred to a Michigan prison.

Nassar, who served as the team doctor for the national gymnastics team from 1996 to 2014 and was also a doctor at Michigan State University, used his positions to sexually assault hundreds of young athletes. He was convicted on multiple counts of sexual abuse and child pornography in both federal and state courts.

His federal conviction in 2017 for child pornography charges resulted in a 60-year sentence. He is also serving multiple sentences in Michigan prisons, ranging from 40 to 175 years, for state-level sexual assault charges. The cumulative sentences mean he will likely remain incarcerated for the rest of his life.

The confusion surrounding his registry status appears to have stemmed from a social media post by the Eaton County Prosecutor's Office. The office had claimed Nassar was among thousands removed from the registry due to a Michigan Supreme Court ruling on September 9. This ruling stated that amendments to the Sex Offender Registration Act from 2021 could not be retroactively applied to incidents that occurred before July 1, 2011, leading to a purge of the database.

The Eaton County Prosecutor's Office later issued a correction, stating: 'After reporting from the Detroit News, it appears that Larry Nassar was never actually registered under the Michigan Sex Offender Registry. We never contemplated that one of the most notorious sex offenders in the history of the state would not have been registered despite the law requiring otherwise.'

More than 150 gymnasts have come forward to report abuse by Nassar. In April 2024, the U.S. Justice Department announced a $138.7 million settlement with over 100 individuals who accused the FBI of mishandling allegations against Nassar in 2015 and 2016. This settlement, combined with others, brings the total set aside by various organizations to compensate victims of Nassar's abuse to approximately $1 billion.