Former sports doctor Larry Nassar was never registered in Lansing under the state registry, state police said Friday. Officials clarified he was not among thousands removed under a recent court ruling.
The Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office previously posted that Nassar was removed from the list. That post followed a Michigan Supreme Court decision in People v. Eddie Lee Smith.
The court ruled people who committed sex offenses before July 2011 cannot be forced to follow the current registry law.
A Michigan State Police spokesperson said the post was incorrect. Nassar is serving an out-of-state federal prison term.
“Offenders not currently domiciled, temporarily residing, working, incarcerated, or going to school in Michigan do not have the duty to register in Michigan under Michigan’s Sex Offender Registry Act (SORA), and would not be visible on Michigan’s public Sex Offender Registry (SOR).”
The spokesperson said Nassar must finish his federal sentence before receiving credit on his Michigan convictions. The Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office issued a retraction on Friday.
The office stated it relied on reporting from the Detroit News and court records. Nassar was sentenced in Ingham County on January 24, 2018.
He was sentenced in Eaton County on February 5, 2018. Public court records show the three Eaton County offenses occurred on September 30, 2009.
His Ingham County offenses occurred in 1998. The prosecutor’s office apologized for the confusion caused by its earlier post.
Nassar pleaded guilty to seven counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Ingham County. He pleaded guilty to three counts in Eaton County.
A judge sentenced him to 40 to 175 years in state prison in Ingham County. He received 40 to 125 years in Eaton County.
Nassar also received a 60-year federal sentence for child pornography charges. He was held at Newaygo County Jail and Milan Correctional Facility before his federal prison transfer.
Valerie Von Frank started POSSE after learning her daughter was a victim of Nassar. She voiced concern about removing names from the list.
Von Frank found out in 2017 that her daughter was abused. She said the incorrect report harmed local families.
Under state legal practice, registration requirements depend on where an offender lives and when offenses occurred. County prosecutors review local case records to track sentencing terms.
State police maintain registry records for individuals residing across Lansing and other Michigan communities.
