A Level 3 sex offender from Frazee has opted not to fight indefinite commitment to a state facility for sex offenders.
John Curtis Barnes, 29, appeared in Becker County District Court Tuesday morning, where he waived his right to a review hearing on being committed as a "sexually dangerous person with a sexual psychopathic personality," according to court records.
Since he was released from the state prison at Rush City in October, Barnes has been at the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter, where he was evaluated by Dr. James Gilbertson.
Barnes agreed to a 90-day hold at St. Peter at a telephone hearing in October.
On Tuesday, he appeared in court in person, where he waived his right to a trial at which he could have fought the state's motion for civil commitment.
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By waiving the hearing, he in effect agreed to an indefinite commitment in the state's sexual offender program at St. Peter and Moose Lake.
District Judge Peter Irvine ordered him committed Tuesday in a temporary order that will become permanent in a few weeks with the completion of necessary paperwork.
Barnes was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2000 for assaulting a preteen boy, and 46 children of all ages and both genders are listed as "possible victims" of his sexual assaults in court papers seeking a civil commitment to St. Peter.
The ages and genders of the children are listed in the court papers. Barnes named them during sexual offender treatment in 2005. At one point he claimed 300 victims, going back to when he started offending at a young age.
He later recanted some offenses, saying they were fantasies. However, he "continues to admit to numerous uncharged victims," in addition to at least two charged victims, according to court records.
Barnes said he sexually assaulted every child he ever babysat, as well as numerous others, whenever the opportunity arose.
Born in Kentucky, he was sexually assaulted himself starting at age 7, was beaten by a stepfather, who tried to drown him, and suffers from mild mental retardation, drug and alcohol abuse, poor personal hygiene and social isolation, according to court records.
