Level Three Sex Offender Leaves Golden Valley

This week, Minneapolis police announced that Clarence Opheim, a 64-year-old level three sex offender, will be moving to the 5700 block of Sander Drive in Minneapolis.

Opheim moved to a Golden Valley halfway house last March after completing a treatment program for sex offenders. In a Minneapolis Police Department fact sheet, police say that Opheim is not wanted for any crimes at this time.

A flyer was distributed to residents who live in the Minneapolis neighborhood and a meeting will take place on Dec. 4 at Crosstown Covenant Church in Minneapolis.

Opheim has admitted to molesting 29 children. He has lured children, both male and female, with bribes, tricks and even weapons. He was sentenced to four and a half years in prison in 1988 for sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy. Opheim completed his sentence and was part of the Minnesota Sex Offender Program, a rehabilitation program in St. Peter.

When Opheim first moved to Golden Valley, a meeting about his presence drew hundreds of concerned residents. At the time of his move, Opheim was one of the first sex offenders to be released from the St. Peter program in more than a decade.

According to the Minnesota Department of Corrections level three sex offender data base, Opheim was the only level three offender to be in Golden Valley, though level one and two offenders could still be in the community.