Through the years, Minnesota has passed laws enforcing sex offenses against children. In 1991, the first registration program was implemented in Minnesota. Since then the sex offender registry has expanded to become a national resource for law enforcement.

Citizens now can access information on high-risk offenders in their area because of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. You can view the Minnesota registry of Level 3 sex offenders published by the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

However, prior to the first Minnesota’s Sex Offender Registration Act in 1991, law enforcement was stymied in their investigation. This act was passed because of the abduction of Jacob Wetterling prior to 1991. He was an 11-year-old boy who was abducted in St. Joseph, Minnesota. A search for him was launched but he was never found. Prior to this act law enforcement didn’t have a comprehensive list of sex offenders or their locations.

In 1994, the Missing Child Response Act was passed requiring the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to assist any law enforcement agency. This act made pre-trial bail evaluations necessary for suspects detained for violent crimes and set up an integrated electronic communication network for crime prevention information between state agencies, law enforcement and the private sector.

In the late 1990’s, Minnesota passed several laws. Megan’s Law required the release of relevant offender information and a Community Notification System. The Pam Lychner Sexual Offender Tracking and Identification Act was passed adding more requirements to the 1991 Wetterling Act. This act allowed the FBI to compile a national database of names and addresses of sex offenders released from prison. It also required lifetime registration for re-offenders and for those convicted of various aggravated offenses. In 1997, the Jacob Wetterling Improvements Act was passed which required heightened registration requirements for several groups and developed laws prohibiting the stalking of juveniles.

In 2000, the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act was passed and added more requirements to the Wetterling Act. This act requires offenders who are attending an educational institution to register with the agency that has jurisdiction over that institution.

In 2006, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act was passed protecting children from exploitation and violent crime. The act included child abuse prevention measures and increased penalties for creating of or distribution of child pornography and the promotion of Internet safety for children.

Keeping track of sex offenders is an important part of fighting crime. With the laws passed by the Minnesota state legislature this is a very good first step. In Part 2 of this series, we’ll look at a Minnesota state report on released sex offenders and what factors they used to reduce sex offender recidivism.