The Orange County District Attorney’s Office just issued a warning to all county residents about seven high risk registered sex offenders. They were released from jail early, despite being charged with tampering with their tracking devices.
Below is a press release containing more information from the Orange County District Attorney:
With jail population at historic low, there is no reason to release
dangerous criminals back into our communities.
Since April 7, 2020 seven registered sex offenders – with crimes ranging from indecent exposure and sexual battery to child molestation – have been released as a result of rulings by appointed Court Commissioner Joseph Dane.
One of the registered sex offenders, convicted of sexual battery, was released on April 7, 2020 after Commissioner Dane sentenced him 20 days credit time served and ordered him to report to parole. Just two weeks later – on April 24, 2020 - he appeared in court on another parole violation and Commissioner Dane again released him after sentencing him to 16 days credit time served.
Sheriff Don Barnes reported to the Orange County Board of Supervisors today the population in the Orange County jail system has been reduced by nearly 45% since March 7 and there is no overcrowding issue. Sheriff Barnes assured that proper steps, including social distancing, masks, and quarantining of new inmates, are in place.
“These kinds of high-risk sex offenders are the most dangerous kind of criminal and the most likely to re-offend. They are doing everything they can to avoid detection by the parole officers assigned to monitor them so they can potentially commit additional sex offenses. These are not the kind of people who should be getting a break,”said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.“Asa state legislator, I was the author and founder of the State of California Sex Offender Management Board and the author of Megan's Law on the Internet, which allows the public to see where these sex offenders are so that they can protect themselves and their families.
It is not the Court’s responsibility to control the jail population by releasing these dangerous criminals back into our communities. The residents of Orange County deserve to have the peace of mind that registered sex offenders are being held accountable and not just let out the front door of a jail by a court commissioner who refuses to follow the law.”
As a result of these dangerous decisions to not follow the law, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office will not stipulate to appear in front of Commissioner Dane on parole violations involving registered sex offenders.
Below is a photo of one of the offenders.
Photo courtesy of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office
For more information and photos of the other sex offenders, visit OrangeCountyDA.org.