The Carlton County sheriff's office is hosting a meeting Wednesday to notify the community of the release of Christopher Steven Ash, a Level 3 sex offender, into the area, Sheriff Kelly Lake said.
The Department of Corrections will present information about Ash, safety steps for citizens, as well as answer questions from the public.
Level 3 sex offenders are generally considered the most likely to reoffend for reasons including the severity and nature of their past crimes and refusal to participate in treatment programs.
Ash was convicted of third-degree sexual assault in May 1999 in St. Louis County District Court. According to the criminal complaint filed with the charges, Ash, who was a cab driver, picked up a woman at a home on Ryan Road in November 1998. The woman was apparently drunk and said she wanted to go to the Duluth Detoxification Center.
On the way, Ash said he needed to get cigarettes and stopped across the street from the Milk House at 5402 E. Superior St. After pulling into the parking lot of a vacant building, he activated the electric door locks and sexually assaulted her, the complaint says. Ash later returned the woman to the Ryan Road home.
ADVERTISEMENT
Wednesday's meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Thomson Township Town Hall, 25 E. Harney Road in Esko.
