A Registered Sex Offender Literally Tried to Enrol in High School by Posing as a Homeless Teen Girl

Makayla Ray Craig, 29, was arrested in Minnesota on Tuesday, 20 October, after allegedly applying to Maple Grove Senior High School under the name 'Molly Lennox Fox'.

The application claimed the applicant was a homeless 17-year-old from Oregon. School staff contacted police on Monday, 19 October, and prosecutors filed three felony forgery charges on Thursday, 22 October.

A judge set bail on Friday at $200,000 (approximately £165,000) without conditions or $100,000 (approximately £82,500) with conditions, according to CBS Minnesota. Craig remained in Hennepin County Jail, with an omnibus hearing scheduled for 18 November.

Police said Craig was never on campus as a student. The complaint indicates a placement in an online programme, but local reports say Craig did not attend classes as a student.

'Homeless Teen' Application That Sparked Alarm

The criminal complaint says a school staff member alerted police after concerns arose about an attempted enrolment. The application used the name Molly Lennox Fox and described the applicant as a homeless 17-year-old from Oregon without identification, according to FOX 9's account of the complaint.

The complaint says Craig invoked the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and pressed for immediate enrolment. Because the application lacked identification, the school placed the applicant in an online programme, FOX 9 reported.

That placement does not establish that Craig attended classes. Maple Grove police said Craig was never present on campus as a student or in online classes.

Craig allegedly told investigators that high school had never been attended and that the aim was to go in person to 'get the full experience.'

The complaint also says Craig told school staff to expect an older-looking applicant and expressed concern about being mistaken for Makayla Ray Craig, a registered sex offender in Oregon. Police identified Craig as that person.

The Star Tribune reported that Craig told investigators an earlier attempt to enrol at a Minneapolis high school had led to acceptance at an alternative school. The complaint, as described by the newspaper, says Craig then sought a school closer to home. These details remain allegations in the charging documents.

Previous Oregon Enrolment Attempt and Convictions

The Minnesota case follows a 2024 attempt to register at South Albany High School in Oregon. Craig allegedly contacted the school while claiming to be a homeless 15-year-old girl named 'Madison'.

School administrators noticed inconsistencies when Craig appeared at the school's headquarters, according to KGW and later Minnesota coverage.

In April 2025, Craig was sentenced to 20 days in jail and 24 months of probation after pleading guilty to forgery and false swearing, the Star Tribune reported. The sentence also barred Craig from coming within 500 feet of schools attended by minors.

Craig had pleaded guilty in 2023 to misdemeanour third-degree sexual abuse involving a minor, according to the Star Tribune. The conviction led to registration as a sex offender. The earlier sentence and school restriction provide background to the Minnesota charges, but do not prove the current allegations.

New Felony Charges and What Comes Next

The new complaint lists three counts, two for aggravated forgery and one for forgery. All are felony charges. An arrest or charge does not establish guilt, and the court had not ruled on the allegations in the reports published after Craig's first appearance.

At Friday's initial appearance, a judge set bail at $200,000 (approximately £165,000) without conditions or $100,000 (approximately £82,500) with conditions.

CBS Minnesota reported that conditions attached to the lower amount included no contact with minors, staying at least three blocks from schools, avoiding Maple Grove High School and obeying the law.

Craig remained in custody after the hearing, according to CBS. The next court date was listed as an omnibus hearing on 18 November. Local reports did not include a plea or defence response.