Michigan authorities are clearing up a major misunderstanding about Larry Nassar and the state’s sex offender registry.
The former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor was not removed from the registry after a recent state Supreme Court ruling because he wasn’t listed there in the first place, Michigan State Police said Friday.
Nassar is serving a federal sentence in Pennsylvania, and under Michigan law, people incarcerated outside the state have no current duty to register there.
“Information suggesting that convicted sex offender Nassar was removed from the sex offender registry by the Michigan state police because of the Smith decision is incorrect,” police said in a statement.
Confusion began after the Eaton County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said Nassar appeared to be among more than 20,000 people removed from the database following a Sept. 9 court ruling. The Michigan Supreme Court determined that portions of the state’s Sex Offender Registration Act could not be applied retroactively to certain offenses committed before July 1, 2011.
The prosecutor’s office later walked back its claim.
“We apologize for the confusion,” the office said, adding that it had not expected Nassar to be absent from the registry.
Police said Nassar could be required to register again if he later lives, works, studies or is incarcerated in Michigan and remains subject to the law.
Nassar pleaded guilty in 2017 to multiple counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. He was sentenced the following year after more than 150 women and girls accused him of sexual abuse.
