Thursday, August 07, 2003
Sex offender registry - not for sex offenders only?
A Minnesota man must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, even though he's never been convicted of a sex crime - and the courts have upheld the law saying so:
Categories: Sex offenses.
The case arose from an encounter in a bar in 1998. Brian Gunderson went home with a woman he met there and, according to her, assaulted and raped her. He was charged two days later with sexual assault.
But the physical evidence collected by the police did not support the woman's accusation of rape. Judge Beam wrote, "The police investigation clearly established a lack of sexual contact between Mr. Gunderson and the complaining woman."
The original criminal complaint was dropped, and Mr. Gunderson pleaded guilty to a new one charging him with assault. He received a 15-month suspended sentence and three years of probation.
State officials later told Mr. Gunderson that he must register as a sex offender under a state law that requires it whenever someone is convicted of a sexual offense "or another offense arising out of the same set of circumstances."
Categories: Sex offenses.
