11/18/2010: Level 3 sex offender moving to Red Wing identified

Authorities on Thursday identified the Level 3 sex offender who will be released into Red Wing as Brian Keith Halpaus.

The 27-year-old will be released Sunday from prison and will live in the 700 block of Bush Street, a Minnesota Department of Corrections official said at a community notification meeting at Red Wing Public Library.

Halpaus was convicted in 2003 of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. According to DOC records, Halpaus engaged in sexual fondling and penetration of an 11-year-old girl known to him.

He received a two-year probationary sentence for the crime, which DOC Community Notification Supervisor Mark Bliven said he violated. Bliven said Halpaus did not complete sex offender treatment and disobeyed restrictions governing interaction with minors.

The violation triggered a 21-month prison sentence, which was enhanced with an additional five years on supervised release since it involved a sex offense.

He was imprisoned in May of 2006 and released about a month later due to time served in jail. Bliven said Halpaus again disobeyed probationary terms – which Bliven said did not constitute a chargeable offense – and was sent back to prison in December 2009.

Halpaus will be released from prison Sunday. He will not be under supervision.

Bliven said if Halpaus does not abide predatory offender registration that he could be sent back to prison for 10 years.

The DOC deems Level 3 sex offenders the most likely to re-offend.

“You’ve got to create a strong community,” Blevin told the crowd of about 60.

Though he recited extensive statistics indicating low likelihood of convicted sex offenders committing stranger-related crimes, he urged community members to be mindful – not just of Halpaus’ presence, but of suspicious activity in general.

“Be aware of what’s going on,” he said.

See Saturday’s print edition for more on the story, including reaction from residents who attended the meeting.

Tags: red wing, crime and courts, news, breakingnews, crime