September: 4 registered sex offenders living in Beltrami County

By K. C. Wilkins

Oct 14, 2025

There was no change in the number of registered sex offenders living in Beltrami County in September compared to the previous month, according to the Minnesota Public Registrant Search.

As of September, four sex offenders were living in the county.

The Registry shows one of these sex offender is a sexual predator.

In Minnesota, people convicted of sex-related crimes are required to register as predatory offenders. The registration period usually lasts 10 years from sentencing, release, or the end of supervision, but in serious cases, such as repeat offenses or first-degree criminal sexual conduct, it can extend to lifetime registration.

Minnesota spends over $100 million annually on its Sex Offense Civil Commitment (SOCC) program, designed to prevent sex offender recidivism, according to a study by the Sex Offense Litigation and Policy Resource Center.

A SafeHome.org study found that the number of registered sex offenders in the U.S. rose to more than 795,000 as of August 2024, an increase of about 8,000 from 2023.

Frequently updated information about sex offenders in Minnesota can be found online here.

Registered Sex Offenders in Beltrami County as of September

Offender	Crime	Crime description
Jeffrey Thomas Ballek	Criminal sexual conduct in the first degree	Jeffrey Ballek engaged in sexual contact with two known female children on multiple occasions over an extended period of time. Contact included sexual touching and penetration. Ballek also possessed child sex abuse images.
Richard Dean Derby	Use of minors in sexual performance prohibited	Richard Derby engaged in sexual conduct with a known female child. Conduct included recording her while instructing her to pose in a sexually explicit manner. Manipulation was used to gain compliance. At age 17, Derby also engaged in sexual contact with a known female teenager.
Michael Warren Smith	Criminal sexual conduct in the first degree, criminal sexual conduct in the second degree	Michael Smith engaged in sexual contact and conduct with a known male toddler. Contact included penetration; conduct included exposure. Smith used his position of authority to gain compliance.
Dean Melvin Johnson	Possession of pornographic work involving minors	Dean Johnson possessed child sexual exploitation materials. He was not known to the victims.