Sex Offender, 29, Caught Posing as Teen Girl Again
A registered sex offender previously convicted after attempting to enroll in an Oregon high school is now accused of trying the same scheme in Minnesota. Authorities say the 29-year-old posed as a homeless 17-year-old girl, but suspicious school staff alerted police before the suspect could attend classes. Craig now faces three felony forgery charges.
Sex Offender, 29, Caught Posing as Teen Girl Again
MAPLE GROVE, MN | October 25, 2026
A 29-year-old registered sex offender from Oregon is facing three felony charges after allegedly attempting to enroll at a Minnesota high school by posing as a homeless 17-year-old girl.
The suspect, identified in court records as Makayla Craig, reportedly used the name Molly Fox while attempting to register at Maple Grove High School.
There was just one problem: Craig had already been convicted in connection with a remarkably similar attempt at another high school.
According to a criminal complaint, school officials became suspicious on October 19 after receiving enrollment paperwork from someone claiming to be a teenager from Oregon without identification documents.
The applicant insisted on immediate enrollment, citing the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which protects educational access for homeless students.
Rather than gaining access to the classroom, Craig attracted the attention of school administrators, who contacted police.
An Unusual Explanation
Investigators say Craig claimed to be 17 years old and explained that the desire to attend school came after achieving sobriety.
Craig reportedly told officers that attending high school in person would provide the opportunity to experience something previously missed.
But the explanation became considerably more unusual.
According to charging documents, Craig had warned school staff about looking older than 17 and even expressed concern about being mistaken for Makayla Ray Craig, a registered sex offender from Oregon.
Investigators eventually determined that the applicant and the registered sex offender were the same person.
Apparently, the proposed solution to being recognized was to warn everyone about the exact person they might recognize.
Not the First Attempt
Authorities say Craig was convicted in 2023 of sexually abusing a minor in Oregon, resulting in sex offender registration requirements.
In 2024, Craig also attempted to enroll at an Oregon high school while claiming to be a homeless 15-year-old girl named Madison.
That incident resulted in a forgery-related conviction and a jail sentence in 2025, along with restrictions on approaching schools.
Prosecutors argued during the earlier case that Craig had attempted to enter the school system to be around minors.
The latest allegations suggest that the previous conviction and court restrictions did not end the attempts to enroll in high school.
School Staff Prevented Enrollment
Despite the concerning circumstances, Maple Grove police confirmed that Craig never completed enrollment at the school and never attended classes on campus or online as a student.
Police credited school employees for recognizing warning signs and promptly contacting a school resource officer.
Craig now faces two felony counts of aggravated forgery and one felony count of forgery.
At a Friday court appearance, a judge set bail at $200,000 without conditions or $100,000 with conditions, including restrictions on contact with minors and proximity to schools.
The next court hearing is scheduled for November 18.
The case raises serious questions about how schools can protect students while maintaining educational access for vulnerable young people.
For Maple Grove High School, the safeguards worked before the applicant could enter a classroom.
Craig's latest charges remain allegations, and no conviction has been reached in the Minnesota case.
SOURCES & REFERENCES
Minnesota Public Radio News — Criminal complaint and police investigation
FOX 9 Minneapolis–St. Paul — School enrollment allegations and investigation
https://www.fox9.com/news/oregon-sex-offender-posed-teen-tried-enroll-maple-grove-school
CBS News Minnesota — Court proceedings, bail and prior conviction
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