Predatory crimes is a category of criminal activity that involves one person preying on another for personal gain. Here are some examples:

• Human trafficking is the sale of a person for the purpose of sexual acts or forced labor.
• Internet crimes against children are crimes that exploit children on the internet.

In addition to a court sentence, certain people who are convicted of predatory crimes must provide information to law enforcement and, sometimes, the public about things like where they work, live or attend school. The information is kept in the Minnesota Predatory Offender Registry.

How common are these crimes?

As the popularity and availability of the internet and social media platforms continue to grow, so do opportunities for people to fall victim to predatory crimes. 

Minnesota law enforcement agencies provide data to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension that is compiled and published in the Minnesota Crime Data Explorer. Search Crimes Against Persons for the most recent data.