In the Interest of A.J.

At issue in this case are two provisions of Iowa’s child abuse registry law: Iowa Code sections 235A.18(2) and 235A.19(2) (2011). The parents bringing this appeal invoked section 235A.18(2)1 in their motion asking the juvenile court to review a child protective assessment that found they abused their son. The parents urged the court to remove their names from the registry based on their son’s recantation of his allegations of abuse after he had been adjudicated as a child in need of assistance (CINA).

The juvenile court denied the parents’ motion, concluding it lacked jurisdiction to expunge…