Frustrations and concerns flared Wednesday evening during a community meeting at Health Reach in Albert Lea set up to notify area residents about a high-risk predatory offender moving to the city.

Albert Lea police and the Freeborn County attorney encouraged people to educate themselves about the situation, stay informed and protect their families — not only regarding this offender, but any potential offender.

They encouraged people to notify police if they see any person doing anything he or she is not supposed to be doing.

“We do everything we can to provide safety for the citizens of Albert Lea, but you also have to do your part to protect yourself,” Albert Lea Police Department detective Frank Kohl said.

The meeting, attended by at least 70 people, was centered on the release of Cody Padraic Trott, 21, who had been expected to be released from prison Aug. 29 at the completion of a court-ordered sentence. Trott is expected to move to the 600 block of East 11th Street, where he will live with his father.

The neighborhood is to the west of the Jobs Industrial Park along Margaretha Avenue.

Kohl said police were notified recently, however, that because of some problems in prison, Trott will not be released until Oct. 20.

Trott is classified as a Level 3 predatory offender, an offender who is the most likely to reoffend.

He has been in and out of prison since he was a juvenile and has had at least two sex-related offenses that landed him in prison.

Kohl said Trott has a juvenile history of sexual contact — including penetration — with vulnerable juvenile victims, both male and female. He took advantage of the victims’ vulnerable states and used force to gain compliance.

He knew his victims.

Kohl said Trott’s conviction was out of Carver County, and following his release from prison, Trott will be on intensive supervision by the Department of Corrections, along with Albert Lea police. He will not be allowed to live within 500 feet of a school and will be on conditional release for 10 years.

“You are now informed,” Freeborn County Attorney Craig Nelson said. “Keep your kids away from him. Don’t let kids have any contact with him.”

Neighbors on 11th Street expressed frustration with being able to have their families come over to their houses or to be able to play outside.

People also asked how often police would patrol around Halverson Elementary School, which is nearby.

Kohl reassured the crowd that while he understood their frustrations, he wanted to emphasize that a large majority of sex offenders, including reoffenders, offend against someone they know — and not against strangers.

Nelson also said that during his more than 20 years as a prosecutor he has only prosecuted one person for a sex crime who did not know his victim.

“You need to put your trust in us that we’re going to do our job,” Kohl said. “And if you see this guy out there doing something he’s not supposed to be doing, give us a call.”

He said Trott will not be able to have firearms, alcohol, drugs or computers in the residence, and agents will be able to search the house to verify such.

Trott will be required to notify authorities any time he changes his address, his phone number and any time he changes any physical characteristics such as hair color or facial hair.

If he or any offender violates his predatory offender registration, they will be going back to prison.

Albert Lea statistics regarding predatory offenders:

• 11 are assigned Level 1 risk levels
• 3 are assigned Level 2 risk levels
• 1 is assigned a Level 3 risk level
• 33 are unassigned offenders

• 16 are on Department of Corrections supervision

Note: Predatory offenders are not just sex offenders; they may have committed another type of crime.

Sex crime statistics:

• Two-thirds of all adult sexual assaults were committed by someone known to the victim.
• 93 percent of all juvenile sexual assault victims know their attacker