HORACE, N.D. -- About 150 people packed the Horace Senior Citizens Center Wednesday night to learn about a convicted child molester living among them.
The Cass County Sheriff's Department called the meeting to notify Horace residents about 40-year-old Curtis Lauinger, 30 Horseshoe Bend Trailer Court.
In 1989, Lauinger was convicted in Colorado of fondling or engaging in oral sex with four boys ages 5 to 11. He served seven years in Colorado State Prison.
In March 1997, he was convicted in Bismarck of indecent exposure and solicitation of a minor after offering a 13-year-old boy $5 for oral sex and, after the boy refused, exposing himself. He served a year and a month in the North Dakota State Penitentiary.
Cass County Sheriff's Lt. Rick Majerus told the crowd Lauinger originally was classified as a level-two offender, meaning he was a moderate risk to re-offend. But when state law changed to require the North Dakota Department of Corrections to classify sex offenders, Lauinger's classification was raised to level three, meaning he is at high risk to re-offend.
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Reclassification also triggered a requirement that law enforcement officials notify Lauinger's neighbors in Horace.
Majerus said Lauinger did nothing to cause the reclassification. It came about only because of differences in methods between the state and the Fargo police, who did the original classification.
Majerus said Lauinger's construction company employer is aware of his record in case the business must perform work around areas with children.
Residents said the meeting was a wake-up call for them to remain vigilant.
Gretchen Ehlen, a mother of two, said the community will have to work together to make sure children stay safe.
"We'll talk to our kids, we'll review the rules that we already have in place," she said. "But they are aware that he's in the area, and we'll be very open about it."
Lori Zabel, who lives across from the trailer park, said Lauinger's presence in town will be a chance to "reaffirm the fact that it's OK (for her son) to talk to me, his dad, a neighbor, a teacher, if he has a concern, let us know. ... And to use his head."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Tom Pantera at (701) 241-5541
