The Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed Thursday that Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University team physician convicted of sexually abusing hundreds of young female athletes, has been taken off Michigan’s public sex offender registry.
Court decision drives the change
On September 9, the Michigan Supreme Court held that the 2021 amendments to the Michigan Sex Offender Registration Act may not be applied retroactively to offenses that occurred before July 1, 2011. The court’s interpretation forced state police to remove from the registry anyone whose criminal conduct pre‑dated that cutoff, even if the convictions were rendered later.
Because Nassar’s abusive conduct took place before the 2011 date, the court ruled he is no longer legally required to remain on the public list, despite his ongoing lengthy prison terms for state sexual‑assault and federal child‑pornography convictions.
Prosecutor’s criticism
Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd criticized the outcome, noting that while Nassar’s convictions were handed down after the deadline, the underlying conduct fell within the loophole the court created. Lloyd argued the Supreme Court could have adopted a different reading of the law to keep certain high‑profile offenders on the registry. He added that any debate over the effectiveness of the registry belongs in the legislature, not the judiciary.
Impact on the public
State officials emphasized that Nassar’s removal from the registry does not pose a public safety threat. He remains incarcerated on multiple state and federal sentences that together total several decades. Given the length of those sentences, authorities expect he will not be released before his death.
Background on the case
Nassar served as the team physician for USA Gymnastics until 2014 and for Michigan State University until 2016. The scandal erupted after Rachael Denhollander publicly accused him in September 2016, leading to a cascade of victim testimonies, including Olympic champions Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber, and later congressional hearings featuring Simone Biles and McKayla Maroney.
During his January 2018 sentencing, Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina described Nassar as “possibly the most prolific serial child sex abuser in history.”
Legal context
The Michigan Sex Offender Registration Act was amended in 2021 to broaden reporting requirements and increase public access to offender information. The Supreme Court’s recent decision underscores the principle that retroactive application of new legal standards is limited, a stance that aligns with constitutional protections against ex post facto laws.
Lawmakers may now consider legislative revisions to address any perceived gaps, but for now the court’s ruling stands, and Nassar’s name has been removed from the state’s database along with more than 20,000 other individuals.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
