26 Year Old Man Is The First Ever To Be Given A Full Unconditional Discharge From Minnesota Sex Offender Program

A Minnesota court has ordered the first-ever full and unconditional discharge from Minnesota’s sex offender treatment program on Wednesday. The Minnesota court chose a young man who spent the past six years of his life in state confinement for sexual acts he committed as a child.

Eric Terhaar, 26, was committed indefinitely to state custody in 2009 for acts he committed when he was 10 years old. He was never convicted of a sexual offense as an adult. Court records show that he may have been influenced by his own sexual victimization. Abandoned and abused as a child Terhaar sexually abused his developmentally disabled sisters ages 7 and 10.

The Supreme Court appeals panel ruled that Terhaar is no longer a danger to the public and does not require inpatient treatment or supervision for a sexual disorder.

Terhaar’s case has sparked a broader discussion about what constitutes a sexually dangerous person and whether juvenile offenders should be forced to receive treatment designed for adults.

However, not all think this is a good idea. Human Services Commissioner Emily Johnson Piper said that the state is discussing a possible appeal to the ruling.

“I opposed Mr. Terhaar’s immediate and complete discharge from our program to protect the public’s safety and to ensure that people are reintegrated carefully and over time, which has been proven to reduce the risk of re-offense by sex offenders,” Piper said in a statement.

If the state wishes to appeal they have 16 days to do so.