Church Youth Group Covered By Megan's Law

In State v. S.B., (NJ Sup. Ct., July 20, 2017), the New Jersey Supreme Court held that a youth ministry associated with a church is a "youth serving organization" under Megan's Law. That law prohibits sex offenders whose victims were minors from participating in any way in these youth organizations.  The court emphasized it was deciding a question of statutory interpretation and that no constitutional issue was raised by the parties.  In the case, the defendant whose sexual assault convictions took place in 1991 was a volunteer youth leader, counselor, mentor, and chaperone for children ages 12- 17 in the church's No Limits Youth Ministry. NJ.com reports on the decision.