Sex offender to be released in Whitehall

A man with two convictions for third-degree sexual assault will be released from prison and living in Whitehall, though his sentence is not related to the assault crimes.

Osei Owusu, 34, has been in state prison since January 2024 for a charge unrelated to sexual assault. In 2022, Owusu pleaded guilty in Trempealeau County Circuit Court to possessing a firearm after being convicted of an out-of-state felony. He was initially sentenced to serve probation, but was then ordered to serve two years in state prison after his probation was revoked. He lived in Winona, Minn. at the time of his conviction. 

According to a press release issued by the Whitehall Police Department, Owusu will be released from prison on Aug. 12. In addition to being a registered sex offender in the state of Minnesota, Owusu’s 2024 sentence includes a requirement that he be under extended supervision for three years. He must follow specific rules, including electronic monitoring; no contact with the victims; no unsupervised contact with minors; no entry into taverns; no consumption of alcohol or drugs; and avoidance of schools, parks, and playgrounds. 

Law enforcement agencies are required by law to announce when registered sex offenders are released. The press release states the information is not intended to increase fear, rather it is the department’s belief that an informed public is a safer public. Owusu is not wanted by the police.

The Whitehall Police Department has no legal authority to direct where a sex offender may live. Unless court restrictions exist, offenders are constitutionally free to live wherever they choose. 

The release also states that citizen abuse of this information to threaten, intimidate, or harass registered sex offenders will not be tolerated. Such abuse could potentially end law enforcement’s ability to issue community notifications. The department believes that the only person who wins if community notification ends is the sex offender, since sex offenders derive their power through secrecy.