Level three sex offender moving to Wadena
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| Jeffrey Scott Meagher |
A level three sex offender, the most likely to reoffend, is moving to Wadena from a neighboring community.
Jeffrey Scott Meagher, 45, has already served his sentence and was released April 1, 2007, said Wadena Police Chief Bruce Uselman. Meagher is changing his address from the city of Burtrum in Todd County, he said. He will live on Third Street Northeast in Wadena.
Since Meagher's release, law enforcement has had no problems with the man, Uselman said.
Meagher has a history of sexual contact with female victims ages 5 through 12, according to the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Contact has included fondling and penetration. The victims knew Meagher.
A level three sex offender is categorized with a high risk for a repeat offense.
The police department held a community notification meeting on Friday, February 29, in the Wadena County Courthouse basement. The meeting is required when a level three sex offender moves to a community.
Representatives from the Minnesota Department of Corrections, Wadena County Sheriff's Office and Wadena Police Department were available at the meeting to answer questions and address any concerns the public had. Officers also explained their current protocol for registered sexual or predatory offenders in Wadena County.
The purpose of the meeting was not to increase fear within the community, Uselman said, but rather to furnish information to enhance public safety and awareness.
Meagher is the only level three sex offender in Wadena County, Uselman said. But local law enforcement already tracks and monitors the activities of about 50 registered sex offenders in Wadena County that are level one or level two offenders, according to the police department. Level one and level two sex offenders have a lower risk of repeating an offense.
A Minnesota level three sex offender search is available on the web at www.doc.state.mn.us/level3/search.asp.
~Reprinted with permission from the Wadena Pioneer Journal-written by Anna Erickson