HEARING OCT. 26 ON PLACING CHILD MOLESTER IN JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS

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By Miriam Raftery
 
September 16, 2020 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Joseph Bocklett, a 75-year-old sexually violent predator convicted of molesting three children ages 4 to 9, may be placed at 45612 Old Highway 80 in Jacumba Hot Springs. A public hearing on his proposed release into the supervised home is slated for October 26 at the Superior Court in San Diego.
 
He was originally slated for release into Pauma Valley in North County, but that proposal was scrapped after objections from community members, Supervisor Jim Desmond and Native American tribal leaders that the site was too close to many families. (However, the state has since proposed release of another sexually violent predator, Joseph Cooley, whose crimes include rape of a 12 year old girl, at the same address.
 
District Attorney Summer Stephan has written letters objecting to release of Cooley in Pauma Valley, but has thus far not taken action to try and block release of Bocklett into the Jacumba Hot Springs community.
 
Bocklett was last sentenced in 2000 to 17 years in prison. He was diagnosed with pedophilic disorder and found likely to reoffend, so was confined to a state hospital where he underwent treatment and was recently approved for release into a supervised facility.
 
Supervisor Dianne Jacob has long complained that rural East County including the Jacumba area has been used as a “dumping ground” for violent sexual predators. She has objected to this and wants prisoners housed near Donovan State Prison if they are to be released at all.

Public comments on the new proposed site in Jacumba Hot Springs will be heard by the court on Oct. 26, but members of the public may also submit public comments until Sept. 23.
 
The comments can be sent to sdsafe@sdsheriff.org, or via phone at 858-495-3619, or by mailing comments to SVP Release/SAFE Task Force, 9425 Chesapeake Drive, San Diego, CA, 92123.
 
The comments will be forwarded to the Department of State Hospitals and the San Diego Superior Court prior to the court hearing.

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Comments

You voted for it

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You probably voted for it. 70.5% of Californians did vote for prop 83 in 2006. The only counties who were against it, ironically, were in the San Francisco bay area. Who if they were selfish probably should have been in favor of sending all of their sex offenders from their cities to our deserts. This is not fair to Jacumba Hot Springs, of course! No place should be dumping ground. But many of you voted for it, following along with Republicans Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bonnie Dumanis. The Runner family of Republican pols got this on the ballot. See also, the largely Republican rural towns burning to the ground due to climate change denial. Sucks to be a sucker, but in all likelihood, that is exactly what you are.

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