Convicted rapist accused of kidnapping Salem girl part of unclassified offender backlog

Elijah Arce, a convicted rapist, now faces kidnapping charges after allegedly abducting an 11-year-old girl in Salem, Oregon. He is classified as an "unlevelled" sex offender, part of a substantial backlog of around 18,000 individuals who lack proper classification due to state funding and staffing issues. The backlog originates from the establishment of the Sex Offender Notification Leveling Program in 2013, followed by a legislative shift in 2015 that placed classification responsibilities with the Parole Board. Despite laws requiring classification, thousands of offenders remain unclassified, with the legislature having extended deadlines multiple times. Recent state funding aims to rectify this situation.

Arce's case, where he was discovered with the girl hours after her disappearance, underscores the critical need for swift action in addressing the backlog. Investigators indicated he claimed he was protecting the girl from sex traffickers. His lengthy criminal history includes multiple convictions, raising concerns about public safety and the effectiveness of the current classification system.